Yes. I can't figure it out. His argument is that Cam didn't have a good supporting cast last year and would have thrived with the new offense.Does he actually watch the games?
Yes. I can't figure it out. His argument is that Cam didn't have a good supporting cast last year and would have thrived with the new offense.Does he actually watch the games?
I agree with this, though I think also fair to note that his COVID-related choices may also have cost him his "last best shot" and impact an aspect of him as a teammate.Would like to second this insightful post. Cam has been a shadow of himself in his time here, but an outstanding football player and a high-character guy.
Have your friend check out Cam's 2018 numbers. They're eye opening. Then factor in a major injury in 2019. The guy is cooked...Yess. I can't figure it out. His argument is that Cam didn't have a good supporting cast last year and would have thrived with the new offense.
Yes, yes, yes. Just to be clear: he deserves to have been released.I agree with this, though I think also fair to note that his COVID-related choices may also have cost him his "last best shot" and impact an aspect of him as a teammate.
I've tried to reason with him. I'll give him a few days to get over it and process it, and then will use logic such as yours to better convince him.Have your friend check out Cam's 2018 numbers. They're eye opening. Then factor in a major injury in 2019. The guy is cooked...
That's not bold. You're fucking Nostradamus. I saw it in my head while reading your post. Gonna go throw salt over my shoulder or something.My bold prediction…..
Macs first 300 yard game comes against the Braducceneers. We lose. But Brady Talks up the Rook and has a well photographed handshake and whisper at Midfield after the game.
"Tom can you talk a little about your end of game handshake with Mac?"
"I told him he couldn’t be with a better organization….unless it was the Bucs <sly Smile> he has a bright future, great coaching and wonderful ownership. I wish him the best"
I think part of Cam's value this year from the start was some legitimacy to the position throughout the draft and particularly free agency.Yeah, I'm readying it from sportrac (https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/cam-newton-7716/) that he got $3.6M from the Pats (there was a $100K workout bonus) and that's also his dead cap hit on the season.
Your history is revisionist revisionist history. Cam sucked. He had one good game against the worst pass defense in the NFL. He was miserable the week before he got asymptomatic Covid, and continued to be miserable after that.This is revisionist history, Cam was pretty good the first three weeks of the season before he got Covid. People here were talking about whether the Pats should consider extending him.
Not that any of that matters now, of course - he was very bad for the rest of last season and did not look any better this preseason. I don't think he was here just to "push Mac" - I think BB was hopeful Cam would improve after a full offseason and preseason - but once it became clear that didn't happen, BB felt little reason to keep him around. I certainly agree that Belichick always saw this outcome as a strong possibility.
Very interesting take. I hadn't considered that possibility, but it certainly seems reasonable.I think part of Cam's value this year from the start was some legitimacy to the position throughout the draft and particularly free agency.
Bill knew he need to sign WRs/TEs in FA and I think around the league with players Cam still has a rep as a legit #1 guy. Obviously in the end many of these players go to the highest bidder, but if things are close, it's probably more likely to sign with NE and Cam than NE and unknown QB X.
A pretty good use of 3.6M to be honest.
Cam and Mac. Mac and Cam. It’s been a sports radio talk-a-thon, a gridiron soap opera, getting us through a hot/rainy August while waiting for games that finally count in September.
Why did we waste our time wondering?
The Patriots final preseason game was Sunday night in the Meadowlands against the Giants (a 22-20 Patriot win) and it’s clear there was never any real competition for the job of Patriots’ starting quarterback.
Cam Newton got the start for the Patriots Sunday. Again. Even after a “misunderstanding” that took him away from the team for five days and would have landed any other Patriot a week in the Cooler. Not Cam.
Belichick loves Newton and there’s nothing that’s going to move Cam down the depth chart before New England’s season opener Sept. 12 against the Dolphins.
[snip]
Not funny at all.Mac was clearly the better player in all aspects of the game this preseason, so I am so excited for the new era.
But how funny would it be if BB went and traded for Deshaun Watson this afternoon?
+1. That's a good point, radsoxfan. It would also partly explain why BB stayed with Cam after last year.Very interesting take. I hadn't considered that possibility, but it certainly seems reasonable.
To be fair, this is how 85% of the posters here felt as well.We shouldn’t have wasted our time wondering. It’s clear who the Patriots will start at quarterback
By Dan Shaughnessy Globe Columnist,Updated August 29, 2021, 8:58 p.m.
Miami is going to be brutal. They are going to throw all kinds of weird stuff at him. Flores learned how to mess with rookie qbs from the master.
Then just keep it simple for the kid and pound Harris and Stevenson all day at them, with a little play action mixed in. Don't make it complicated.
Doesn't this just guarantee something like 37-50, 395 yards and 5TDs?And Belichick knows better than anyone how to ease in a young QB. Expect lots of safe throws, screens, etc... a la Brady in early 2001.
That would not be funny at all!Mac was clearly the better player in all aspects of the game this preseason, so I am so excited for the new era. I just wasn't expecting it to start so soon... this is awesome.
But how funny would it be if BB went and traded for Deshaun Watson this afternoon?
Less crazy then it sounds. Back in the mid-1970s, when Bruin GM Harry Sinden told his then star center he'd been traded, Esposito's immediate response was "just tell me it wasn't to New York." But it was. And Esposito remains bitter about it to this day.He's also a Bruins fan and hates the NY Rangers more than the Canadiens. I don't know what I'm going to do with this guy.
Ok. I won’t belabor the point since it’s totally irrelevant now but if you go back to BBtL and read the threads from the first three games opinions ranged from “Cam is great” to “Cam is managing the game well and they have a good gameplan for him.” No one was saying he sucked, because he didn’t suck. But as I say it’s irrelevant now.Your history is revisionist revisionist history. Cam sucked. He had one good game against the worst pass defense in the NFL. He was miserable the week before he got asymptomatic Covid, and continued to be miserable after that.
He is not a starting NFL quarterback. He was not a starting NFL quarterback. And mercifully, we don't have to watch him besmirch the Patriot offense any longer.
Every single one of those opinions was based on the assumption that those three games were the baseline of performance Cam would provide and that he'd improve on that. And yet here we are still bringing up the second half against the Seahawks as basically the sole instance of him playing well as a passer (against a defense that allowed 430 passing yards the previous week and 461 the next).Ok. I won’t belabor the point since it’s totally irrelevant now but if you go back to BBtL and read the threads from the first three games opinions ranged from “Cam is great” to “Cam is managing the game well and they have a good gameplan for him.” No one was saying he sucked, because he didn’t suck. But as I say it’s irrelevant now.
He's doing the shocker wrong.
Hmm, can't say I have ever seen a "hang loose" hand gesture described in three bullet points, but I'm also not on twitter much...
I mean, we had this argument all of last season (and I am thrilled it doesn't matter anymore). He was ok against Miami with no film available on him. He was good against Seattle and their non-existent pass defense. Then he was bad against Vegas, although the team was able to win despite him. Then he pretty much solidly sucked every week after that until the Jets laid down in game 16.Ok. I won’t belabor the point since it’s totally irrelevant now but if you go back to BBtL and read the threads from the first three games opinions ranged from “Cam is great” to “Cam is managing the game well and they have a good gameplan for him.” No one was saying he sucked, because he didn’t suck. But as I say it’s irrelevant now.
"All Free Agent WR and TE....come one come all, you can play with THE GREAT CAM NEWTON!!!"+1. That's a good point, radsoxfan. It would also partly explain why BB stayed with Cam after last year.
I think “hang loose” would just be pinky and thumb, no? I think adding in the extra finger makes it the ASL “I love you” gesture. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/ILY_signHmm, can't say I have ever seen a "hang loose" hand gesture described in three bullet points, but I'm also not on twitter much...
I mean, I believe that BB could have told Cam that they would keep him on as a backup, or they could release him if he wanted to try his luck elsewhere and he chose the latter. It's baseless speculation to assume that Newton "didn't react well to losing the job" and then needed to leave the team. The choice of words seems pretty harsh to Cam.Just a guess from Bedard:
If I had to guess, I think Belichick gave Newton the option to stay but Newton didn't react well to losing the job. Both figured it was best to leave.
Yeah, I gotcha, but my friend's Bruins fandom only dates back to the late 70s/early 80s.Less crazy then it sounds. Back in the mid-1970s, when Bruin GM Harry Sinden told his then star center he'd been traded, Esposito's immediate response was "just tell me it wasn't to New York." But it was. And Esposito remains bitter about it to this day.
Others who had similar thoughts have supported their claim by citing specific posts.This is exactly what I thought would happen all along...
I'd say the BAL and HOU games were pretty good, particularly HOU even if we lost. Overall though, Cam was pretty bad, he had 4-5 solid games and 3-4 terrible ones. Of course he was on a bad offense and the alternatives were clearly worse, so no surprise he kept playing. This year I bet he would have been better, but I also understand why he's not a great fit as the backup once you decide to go with Cam, even if he's clearly better than the guys who will likely backup here.I mean, we had this argument all of last season (and I am thrilled it doesn't matter anymore). He was ok against Miami with no film available on him. He was good against Seattle and their non-existent pass defense. Then he was bad against Vegas, although the team was able to win despite him. Then he pretty much solidly sucked every week after that until the Jets laid down in game 16.
Good riddance.
I'm irrationally giddy right now. Can't wait for the game.All I can keep thinking is that they are giving the keys to the car to a rookie. It's unbelievable. Think about how much it takes to earn BB's trust. This speaks so incredibly highly to how prepared Mac is. This is so freaking exciting.
+1I'm irrationally giddy right now. Can't wait for the game.
This is my take as well. I think it's the right move but wasn't prepared for it to happen with two division games at the start of the schedule. The confidence is there and that is very encouraging. Mac earned it.All I can keep thinking is that they are giving the keys to the car to a rookie. It's unbelievable. Think about how much it takes to earn BB's trust. This speaks so incredibly highly to how prepared Mac is. This is so freaking exciting.
And to continue on from my hypothetical of me being an NFL HC (or GM), if I didn't have absolute confidence in my job security there's no way in hell I would have cut Newton. I wouldn't be willing to risk my job by opening myself up to the possibility that the rookie does actually suck and suddenly my decision to get rid of someone who would be a top-tier backup looks absolutely moronic.In the celebrate what is department.
One of the things that makes us very fortunate as fans is that we have a coach that just doesn't give a shit about being second guessed. It is an enormous benefit. Many of these are 50/50 calls and so there's no way they can possibly all work out. But things that would put coaches on the hot seat in other cities just do not matter in New England. Whether it's the Malcolm Butler decision or not calling a time against the Seahawks in the Super Bowl or letting a veteran go a year too early, we have a coach that has literally noting on his mind when he makes these decisions other than what is the best judgment. He doesn't have to worry about the press conference like most other coaches in the league.
This is just such a luxury. Again, it doesn't always work out and this might not work out but the bottom line is that the process really optimizes the potential for good results.
Usually a heralded rookie QB is joining a shit team, and shit teams usually have shit OL's. Somehow, Mac drops to 15(!) to a team with a really good OL and that was actually decent last year and is improved pretty much everywhere this year. This is not a situation a lot of rookies get to be put into. I'm sure there will be rookie glitches, but I haven't seen, heard, or read anything that makes me think Mac won't excel as the NEP QB.If you have any inkling your rookie QB is going to be at least average and possibly special down the road, then this is the perfect team for him to be starting on as a rookie. In retrospect, it is a LOT like Brady's rookie season in 2001 with the defense and special teams pretty much on point (besides the Gilmore issue and monitoring the crooked FG attempts). However the running game could outperform 2001 by a huge margin. Mac could win being a game manager, but I also saw enough in the preseason that he may have some big play chops as well and can put the burden on his shoulders when the team needs it.
Pretty sure you know this but just to clarify 2001 was Brady's 2nd season.If you have any inkling your rookie QB is going to be at least average and possibly special down the road, then this is the perfect team for him to be starting on as a rookie. In retrospect, it is a LOT like Brady's rookie season in 2001 with the defense and special teams pretty much on point (besides the Gilmore issue and monitoring the crooked FG attempts). However the running game could outperform 2001 by a huge margin. Mac could win being a game manager, but I also saw enough in the preseason that he may have some big play chops as well and can put the burden on his shoulders when the team needs it.
BB being BB will open up five wides and no huddle and go with that most of the game.And Belichick knows better than anyone how to ease in a young QB. Expect lots of safe throws, screens, etc... a la Brady in early 2001.
Brady will say that to the cameras but what he'll really say to Mac is "Fuck off, Rook, it's still my league."My bold prediction…..
Macs first 300 yard game comes against the Braducceneers. We lose. But Brady Talks up the Rook and has a well photographed handshake and whisper at Midfield after the game.
"Tom can you talk a little about your end of game handshake with Mac?"
"I told him he couldn’t be with a better organization….unless it was the Bucs <sly Smile> he has a bright future, great coaching and wonderful ownership. I wish him the best"