The New England Patriots signed Cam Newton on Sunday and that move makes them a much stronger team going forward.
The New England Patriots finally made a splash in 2020. They signed Cam Newton and set the football world ablaze. After losing Tom Brady, New England replaced him with a former NFL MVP.
This move seems to be a great one for the Patriots. They get a great talent on a cheap deal. If Newton is healthy and his former self, New England could now go far in the playoffs this season.
There are also a ton of ripple effects thanks to the move. Looking at the AFC East as a whole it seems like the Patriots are once again the favorites. Now that they have a proven QB it’s hard to say the Bills will be a better team.
Even on New England’s roster, there are some major effects. There is now a quarterback competition in Foxboro. A job that seemed like it is Jarrett Stidham’s to lose is now completely up in the air.
One hopes that this doesn’t hurt Stidham’s confidence. The Patriots could have done some permanent damage that could hurt the team if Newton doesn’t work out. Hopefully, Stidham takes the competition in stride and is up for the challenge.
But having a guy like Newton on the roster makes a world of a difference and these three players could have some great seasons now that Cam is a Patriot.
Julian Edelman
Of course, the signing of Newton impacts Julian Edelman a lot. One could argue that he is greatest impacted by the move.
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Now Edelman has a proven QB throwing him the ball. Now after thinking that Edelman could have a down year now that Brady is gone, it seems like JE11 could have a career year.
Since Edelman knows the offense so well it’s likely that he is one of Newton’s primary targets. Having a guy you can quickly get the ball to is always a great thing to have. Edelman is a great route runner who works well going across the middle.
There is also Newton’s skill set. He can turn broken plays into highlight-reel plays. He uses his ability to escape the pocket to extend plays and find the open man.
Overall I think the move will help out Edelman a lot. He will still have an MVP caliber quarterback throwing him the ball. There’s no way that can hurt Edelman’s output.
But there is a chance that Edelman could all of a sudden hoping that he was getting more targets. One young wideout seems poised for a breakout season now that Newton is on the Patriots roster.
N’Keal Harry
The Patriots took a big risk selecting N’Keal Harry in the 1st round. The franchise isn’t exactly known for drafting great wideouts. New England even got lucky with Edelman because he came out of college as a quarterback. They turned him into one of the best wideouts in the NFL.
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Harry got off to a rough start in New England. A preseason injury kept him out for most of the regular season. Harry ended up appearing in 7 games for the Patriots.
The rookie and Brady didn’t get off to a great start. Initially, it seemed like Brady was unwilling to trust Harry. Still, when Harry got some chances he showed the athleticism and talent he has.
Now that Newton is on the roster I think Harry will get a lot more targets. Besides the fact that Newton is more likely to trust Harry, Newton’s style of play lends itself to Harry getting more targets.
When Newton is scrambling and trying to extend plays he is going to need to find a big target. Harry seems to be a perfect candidate.
So now that Harry has a quarterback who will trust him, he could have a great season for the Patriots in 2020.
James White
James White was already a great player when he had Brady as his quarterback, but now he could be even better. Now that Newton is a Patriot there seems to be a lot more opportunities for White.
Of course, White will be a great part of the passing game. With Newton on the roster, he has a capable QB making decisions on what to do.
Also Newton is likely to rely on White a lot. He did the same with Christian McCaffery in Carolina.
There’s also the fact that the skillset lends itself to White getting more usage. If the Patriots want to install a more RPO inspired offense it would make sense for White to get more playing time. This would allow White to be a target on any play.
The same can’t be said for Sony Michel. If Newton chooses to pass the ball Michel wouldn’t be the same caliber of a player in the passing game. This means a lot more snaps for White.
So now that Newton is on the roster the Patriots offense seems to be rebuilt and retooled for success. 2020 has a lot of potential and the Patriots could be a team to watch when the NFL season begins.