New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has a fascinating quarterback competition to manage. And make no mistake: the quarterback job is wide open in New England.
Cam Newton is the likely favorite, considering his wealth of experience and production in the NFL. But Jarrett Stidham seems committed to nipping at Newton’s heels. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Patriots have less time than ever to prepare for the season, which makes Brian Hoyer, who has more experience with the Patriots than the rest, a legit threat to start.
Newton seems to have taken the right steps forward to hold his lead on the job, even before the players begin practice.
“He’s a smart football player. He’s played a lot of football. He’s seen a lot of stuff,” McDaniels said Friday on a videoconference call. “Guys in our league rarely have the type of success that a player like he has had and this fast without understanding the game. He learns well and we’re in the middle of this process of trying to get him caught up along with a lot of the new guys to learn what we want him to do.”
There was some question about how Newton would fit in New England. Bill Belichick has long encouraged his players to keep their nose to the grindstone — which, coincidentally, keeps those players away from the spotlight. Newton, meanwhile, has embraced his star status. That differing philosophy doesn’t seem to have impacted their relationship.
“I’ve loved it ever since I’ve been here,” Newton said when asked about the perception that they might not fit. “I’ve been here, going on a week, now and you hear rumors about certain things, but once you finally get settled in on things like that, none of that really matters. It’s just all about finding a way to prove your worth on the team.”
If Newton does win the starting job, it will be interesting to see what McDaniels does with the Patriots offense, which was designed to highlight Tom Brady’s strengths. McDaniels admitted he’s had limited work with mobile quarterbacks during his Patriots career, but he’s excited to get to work with Newton, who will have to immerse himself in New England’s system, which McDaniels will adjust to fit Newton — or whoever starts at quarterback.
“I’m thankful for the experiences that I’ve had when I didn’t have Tom. Believe me, no one was happier to have him out there when he was out there for all the years I was fortunate to coach him,” McDaniels said. “But I would say I did have some experience with the Matt Cassel year, which I learned a lot about how to tailor something to somebody else’s strengths, we had to play that four-game stretch a handful of years ago with Jacoby and Jimmy, I thought that was helpful. And I was away for three years. So trying to really adapt … it’s not changing your system, it’s adapting your system to the talents and strengths of your players.”
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