Patriots: Cam Newton’s comments about Bill Belichick and Julian Edelman are ideal
By Adam Weinrib
Patriots QB Cam Newton should put your mind at ease by talking Bill Belichick and Julian Edelman.
Things are going to look a lot different when the Patriots kick off the 2020 season, but thanks to Cam Newton’s quick adjustments, the basic ethos remains the same.
Believe in Bill Belichick, and, on any key down, close your eyes and target Julian Edelman.
When Newton arrived on a dollar-per-touchdown-esque cheapie contract, a lot of sweat was poured from furrowed brows, as old football scribes attempted to square his supposed me-first attitude with his ability to, well, “Do Your Job”.
If the former MVP’s training camp and offseason hustle weren’t enough to endorse his fit in New England’s locker room, his latest comments on the verge of officially taking over the starting role should make fans feel quite comfortable. For instance, as for his “personality clash” with Bill Belichick…what clash was that, exactly?
"I think every type of stereotype I had about Bill Belichick changed the day I talked to him." -- Cam Newton, to @TheGregHillShow
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) September 7, 2020
Well, there you have it! Perhaps we shouldn’t be so quick to stereotype … any NFL personality who we don’t actually know?
Newton is the “ostentatious diva” on the field because that’s the persona that plays. This league is entertainment, after all. That’s why Belichick is the cagey, prickly ’70s-style demanding boss when he grunts to the media, but inside the locker room, he’s clearly someone that the majority of the public hasn’t met yet.
Whatever’s going on behind closed doors, it’s working wonders for Newton’s upward mobility.
And as for his security blanket? Even without experienced tight ends, which he’s relied upon quite a bit on previous contending rosters, it seems like Newton has fully invested in Julian Edelman, a weapon unlike anything he’s had before.
Cam Newton to @TheGregHillShow: "I see guys like Julian [Edelman], I can say I've never had a receiver like that, outside of like Steve Smith; a person who was a veteran and understood what it took. Everybody else was pretty much a young guy who you had to mold and shape."
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) September 7, 2020
No Greg Olsen, sure, but Newton’s offense is complete with a Squirrel Swiss Army Knife. Everything’s going to be OK over the middle after all.
On the verge of kicking off a season unlike any we’ve ever seen, Newton just calmed two of Pats Nation’s worries in one fell swoop. He loves the Bill Belichick he’s seeing behind the scenes (and probably vice versa), and he’s ready to exploit the inherent advantage of having the extremely Julian Edelman on his side.
Add in Josh McDaniels, and we just might have something here.
