When the Patriots signed Cam Newton in 2020, the quarterback had a lot to learn in a short amount of time before the season started. It didn’t help that training camp was adjusted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
That’s part of what makes things so different for the quarterback in his second New England training camp. Newton himself has talked about what the year of experience in the system has meant for his comfort running the offense. That’s something offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has noticed, too.
“He just knows much more about we’re doing. It’s a lot less new learning everyday, more repetition of things he already understands. … Things slow down. Things make more sense,” McDaniels said, via Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald. There were things I was telling him to do last year that he didn’t quite understand, but I was telling him, ‘Hey, do it this way. Try and do it that way. Make him the Mike, whatever.’ He was trying to do everything I said.
“Now, he actually understands the why on most things. That is really the goal for the quarterbacks — when you’re out there trying to read defenses on a play-to-play basis, if you don’t understand why we’re doing something or why you’re supposed to make the protection slide here or there, it’s a tough position to play. The game has slowed down for him. The offense makes a lot of sense. Like I said, there’s a lot less new learning for him.”
Though the Patriots drafted Mac Jones with the 15th overall pick, Newton is still slated to be the team’s QB1 until Jones outperforms him. With the knowledge and experience in the system, Newton may hold off Jones to open the season. But he may or may not continue in that starting spot for long if Jones makes enough progress.