Cam Newton's Former OC Gave Glowing Review About QB to Patriots
The New England Patriots signing of Cam Newton lit up social media on Sunday. The move seemed to come out of nowhere and after losing a player like Tom Brady, Newton certainly isn't a bad replacement.
Coming out of college, Newton had the arm and typical height of your prototypical quarterback, but he could also escape the pocket and run the ball for large gains. But now Newton is 31 years old and coming off a foot injury. His body has been through a war these past two seasons and it's hard to expect him to be the same exact player.
That's part of the reason that it took so long for Newton to get signed. Due to the pandemic, teams are unable to bring in players for physicals. Signing Newton now comes with a little bit of risk.
But something put New England over the edge. The tipping point was reached and they decided to sign Newton.
Patriots fans might have to thank Newton's former offensive coordinator, Norv Turner, for Newton's arrival in New England. As reported in Albert Breer's MMQB column this week, Bill Belichick reached out to Turner earlier this offseason about Newton, and Turner gave a glowing review about his former QB.
“My whole deal is, when Cam was healthy, and we were there with him [in 2018], we were 6–2,” Turner said last night. “Just look at the tape—played his ass off. His issue was more health than anything else, and from what I understand, I don’t think these are health issues that he can’t overcome. He’s had the time off now. I think he’ll be great.”
Newton hasn't played in a game since September of 2019. He has gotten plenty of rest and will be recharged when the 2020 NFL season begins.
But he will also have a chip on his shoulder. It took all the way until June for a former MVP to get signed to a team. Newton will want to prove his doubters wrong and make every team that passed on him regret their mistake.
Newton is a former NFL MVP. In 2015 he threw for 3,837 yards and 35 touchdowns while also rushing for 636 yards and 10 touchdowns. That dual-threat ability makes him a great option to be a starting quarterback in 2020 for the Patriots. Offenses are built for athletic QB's such as Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson, and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels' creativity can help Newton -- who was original dual-threat QB of the 2010s -- thrive Kate in his career.
A healthy Newton will cause problems for opposing defenses. He has the arm that should make players like N'Keal Harry excited. Newton loves throwing to big targets, as his success with Devin Funchess and Kelvin Benjamin shows. Harry seems to be poised for a breakout season now that Newton is a Patriot. It's also likely that New England will run the ball more, which could open up a world of possibilities for Sony Michel, Damien Harris, James White, and Rex Burkhead.
With such a positive review from his former OC, it will be interesting to see just how well Newton does in 2020.
