Tag: Mohamed Sanu

Watch Cam Newton, N’Keal Harry meet up for workout in Los Angeles

Cam Newton’s quickly getting acquainted with his new receivers.

Cam Newton isn’t wasting any time to get acquainted with his new wide receiver corps.

The freshly-signed New England Patriots quarterback met up with Mohamed Sanu to practice just days after his reported deal was agreed upon. Newton appeared to be studying the Patriots’ playbook in a recent Instagram photo and shouted out Julian Edelman in the caption.

He met up with second-year receiver N’Keal Harry on Wednesday in Los Angeles and continued to build chemistry with his core guys. Edelman, Sanu and Harry will sit at the top of the depth chart and will have to carry a thin group of receivers.

Newton has always thrived with bigger receivers and Harry fits that mold with his 6-foot-4, 225 pound frame.

Newton, 31, still has to fight for the starting position against Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer, but the battle appears to be his to lose. Newton is a former NFL MVP who took the Carolina Panthers to a Super Bowl — giving him a leg up in the quarterback battle.

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The story behind Patriots QB Cam Newton and WR Mohamed Sanu’s workouts

Cam Newton and Mohamed Sanu are becoming fast friends.

The Patriots’ roster seemed to jump on the ‘Cam Newton bandwagon’ pretty quick. None were quicker than wide receiver Mohamed Sanu.

Just two days after Newton had reportedly agreed to join New England, Sanu was in Los Angeles working out with the quarterback.

While traveling and practice guidelines have been limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was pretty shocking that the two were able to hit the field so soon. According to Drew Lieberman, Sanu’s trainer, it all happened by coincidence.

“The day Cam signed, they were FaceTiming each other just talking about how excited they were,” Lieberman told Evan Lazar of CLNS Media. “And Cam was like, ‘What are you doing this week?’ Mo said he was going to L.A. for the week, and Cam said, ‘Oh shoot, I’m about to be in L.A. too! Let’s link up.’ ”

They did “link up” and put out a few crazy workout videos featuring both the quarterback and wide receiver. While they worked a lot on football and staying in shape, the bond that may be forming may be more impactful.

Spending time together can be more important than what they do to practice their craft. That rapport they have as friends may make them better football players when they end up sharing the same field.

“The biggest thing I was looking for wasn’t even football stuff,” Lieberman said. “It was more like how do they vibe together, what was the chemistry like, and what’s the overall energy? That part of it was awesome.”

In a season that will be a completely new experience for everybody in and around Gillette Stadium, Newton and Sanu have a common goal. They are both trying to return to their peak.

Sanu was hampered by an ankle injury that really slowed him down towards the end of last season. Newton, on the other hand, is a former MVP that’s missed time with injuries to both his shoulder and ankle.

If the Patriots want to realize their potential in 2020, both Newton and Sanu will have to return to their normal form and play their best football.

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Mohamed Sanu vows not to repeat disappointing 2019 season

“I am not letting that (expletive) happen again.”

New England Patriots receiver Mohamed Sanu was willing to admit the 2019 season didn’t go the way he was hoping.

While jumping from the Atlanta Falcons to the New England Patriots in a midseason trade, Sanu managed his worst season since his rookie season. Sanu finished with 59 catches, 520 yards and two touchdown. It sounds like Sanu is intent upon returning to form.

“It’s tough when you learn things over and over and you memorize things like it’s the back of your hand and you have to completely forget all the things, terminology in 24 hours, something you’ve known for 3.5 years,” Sanu recently said on The Game 92.9 in Atlanta, as transcribed by WEEI’s Ryan Hannable. “It is what it is. When you’re a top elite athlete you’re supposed to adjust and pick it up. It was tough at first and adversity hit, but it is what it is.

“Right now, I am where I want to be. I didn’t play the best that I felt like I could have last year and that is on me. I internalized that and that’s fine. I accepted it, just know I am not letting that (expletive) happen again.”

Sanu seems to be putting in the work, too. Despite undergoing offseason ankle surgery, he has posted a number of workout videos, including some this week with quarterback Cam Newton, who signed with the Patriots to compete for the starting role.

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How Cam Newton fits with youthful Patriots offense

Cam Newton fits the New England Patriots nicely as they get younger at the wideout position.

When healthy, new Patriots quarterback Cam Newton gives New England an explosive signal-caller under center. Newton’s mobility and ability to make key throws on the run are just some of the assets he brings to the table. It’s for these reasons that he fits in the Patriots offense.

When you look at a receiver like N’Keal Harry, Harry is a physical receiver who is a deep-ball threat and who can spread the field. Like he showed at Arizona State, the wide receiver thrives on making the big play. Throughout his career, Newton has displayed his arm strength. It was one of the reasons that he was considered such a dangerous quarterback coming out of college, and why he was so highly regarded prior to his injuries.

The combination of Harry’s ability to get down the field, as well as Newton’s ability to throw on the run makes him an ideal fit with this addition of the New England Patriots.

There is no doubt that Tom Brady was great at many things. However, making throws out of the pocket, the ability to throw the ball deep down the field, and making throws on the run were not his strong suits. Particularly in Brady’s final seasons with New England, he struggled to get the ball down the field.

With wideouts like Julian Edelman, Harry, Jakobi Meyers, and Mohamed Sanu, New England has several wide receivers that can make things happen down the field and after the catch.

Edelman in particular is very good at this. He led all Patriots receivers with 320 yards after the catch in 2019.

In a Tom Brady-led offense, receivers could count on his ball placement and his ability to make the tough throws. They could not consistently count on Brady to be able to keep plays alive and scramble out of the pocket while maintaining touch. In a Newton-led offense, he affords these wideouts a chance to get deep down the field and make  big plays happen at the start of their routes, rather than relying on yards after the catch.

A  healthy Cam Newton accentuates the strengths of these wide receivers, and moving forward, that will fit the Patriots offense. Newton affords this particular group of wideouts the ability to play to their strengths, rather than having to make adjustments to the quarterback.

This  line of thinking particularly applies to Meyers and Harry.  Worrying about how to get open and making the most of their opportunities, instead of whether the quarterback will be able to trust them and get them the ball, should be a welcome change of pace.

Aside from just Meyers and Harry, it will be interesting to see how the wideouts adjust to a new style of quarterback in 2020.

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Cam Newton’s hype video featuring Mohamed Sanu will pump up Patriots fans

The Patriots continue to get spoiled with awesome hype videos.

Cam Newton joining the New England Patriots will provide a similar feel to Tom Brady from a social media standpoint.

Both elite quarterbacks have very active social media presences and have a history of posting some awesome hype videos. Brady went a bit further with the TB Times, Tom vs. Time videos and much more. Newton is still extremely active and will showcase a similar presence.

Newton dropped a hype video on his Instagram on Thursday and it featured his newest teammate, Mohamed Sanu. The video begins with well-known sports analysts giving their opinion on the Patriots signing Newton.

Patriots fans should prepare for an extremely motivated quarterback who carries a huge chip on his shoulder.

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Patriots’ Cam Newton, Mohamed Sanu already working out together

Cam Newton got to work immediately.

Just a days after being signed, New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton caught up with Mohamed Sanu to put in some work at UCLA.

Sanu is coming off a disappointing start with the Patriots after sustaining an ankle injury in 2019. He successfully underwent surgery this offseason and his trainer said he’s been “faster, quicker, leaner and in better shape.”

Newton sat patiently on the free agent list for months and put in work the entire offseason. He missed 16 games in the last two regular seasons with the Carolina Panthers because of a shoulder and ankle injury. He appears to be healthy and ready to go for the 2020 season.

Now it’s time to  build chemistry with his new teammates.

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Mohamed Sanu’s impressive workouts have caught Jarrett Stidham’s attention

Mohamed Sanu has been posting some wild workout videos despite a recent surgery.

Jarrett Stidham is taking notice of the hard work of one of his receivers. New England Patriots wideout Mohamed Sanu has been regularly posting extremely impressive workout videos on Instagram. The one-handed catches and over-the-house punt return practice would be impressive in itself. But Sanu is also recovering from ankle surgery this offseason.

Surely, he is driven to build upon a rough first season with the Patriots when he had just 26 catches, 207 yards and one touchdown. Perhaps Sanu and Stidham can form a fearsome tandem in 2020.

Here’s what seems to have caught Stidham’s eye.

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Where the BS begins I end that..

A post shared by Mohamed Sanu Sr. (@mohamedsanu) on

Stidham responded with eye emojis.

It looks like Stidham, who will be in competition with Brian Hoyer for the Patriots’ starting quarterback job, is beginning to win over his teammates.

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Mohamed Sanu shows off incredible strength in workout video

Sanu showed off his strength in a workout video posted to Twitter.

Julian Edelman isn’t the only New England Patriots wide receiver putting in work this offseason. Mohamed Sanu has also been working hard, as the wide receiver unit looks to make an impact in 2020.

This will be Sanu’s first full season in New England after being acquired at the trade deadline in 2019. He recorded six catches for 47 yards and a touchdown in eight games with the Patriots.

His best outing came against Baltimore — where he recorded 10 receptions for 81 yards and his only touchdown of the season.

Now, it looks like he is working on getting stronger and faster for 2020.

He may be heavily relied upon as one of the few veterans on the wide receiving corps. It will be interesting to see how he fits into the equation with a new quarterback under center.

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Mohamed Sanu makes absurd one-handed catch in Instagram video

The wideout has an impressive catch ability.

The New England Patriots’ receiver group has received a lot of criticism throughout this offseason. Fans and critics alike questioned why the team didn’t go after the position through free agency or the draft.

With Julian Edelman, N’Keal Harry, and Mohamed Sanu expected to spearhead the group, the position doesn’t lack talent. And, after a quick honeymoon phase that turned to disappointment, Sanu is looking to return to his days of consistent production.

This offseason, following surgery on his injured ankle that likely hampered his ability last year, Sanu has been continuing to work and showing off his skill set across social media.

Just over a week ago, the wideout was seen practicing punt returns over a house. Now, Sanu is showing off his hands with crazy one-handed catches.

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Week 15

A post shared by Mohamed Sanu Sr. (@mohamedsanu) on

If Sanu can add receptions like these to his arsenal, it will certainly benefit a guy like Jarrett Stidham. With the young quarterback competing for the starting job, having a receiver who can catch passes that aren’t perfectly thrown.

The group of Edelman, Harry, and Sanu could be a formidable one. The problems come with Edelman’s age and both Harry and Sanu’s injuries last season. If they are all healthy, they should provide Stidham with above average weapons to throw to.

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Patriots WR Mohamed Sanu practices fielding punt returns over a house

The Patriots may have their punt returner.

When Mohamed Sanu was traded from Atlanta to New England last year in exchange for a second-round pick, he assumed more than just his duties as a wide receiver.

Sanu’s arrival meant the Patriots had someone new to try out returning punts. Their plan entering the season was to have undrafted rookie Gunner Olszewski be the man for the job, however, the former Bemidji State cornerback suffered multiple injuries that landed him on injured reserve.

This left the Patriots with two players with punt return experience in Julian Edelman and Patrick Chung. Both were extremely vital in their main roles, so the Patriots were reluctant to throw either on the field to return punts.

Sanu recorded nine punt returns for 54 yards in 2019. Most often, he was used to fair catch, so that the kicking team could not pin New England back any further with a bounce.

Now, it seems that in offseason full of uncertainty (including his recovery from an ankle injury) Sanu is practicing bringing in punts. These aren’t just any old punts, however, they are being projected over a house.

The house probably won’t be making an appearance on the game field next season, but it could help Sanu in the tracking of a ball in the sky. He’s not watching it come off of a punter’s foot. The ball has to be located in the air and brought in.

Stranger techniques have been cited for helping athletes around the NFL.

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