Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - A New(ton) Era: Patriots Sign QB Cam Newton - 6/29/2020

Episode Date: June 29, 2020

The New England Patriots still had one more winning card up their sleeve.  Cam Newton is now a Patriot after inking a one-year, incentive-laden deal with the team.  Joining host Mike D’Abate to break it all down is Zac Blackerby of Locked On Auburn to discuss the new quarterback in Foxboro, and what it potentially means for Jarrett Stidham.  Mike also provides his thoughts on the NFL’s ruling regarding the Kraft Productions videotaping incident in December 2019. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Patriots fans, you are now locked in to the Locked On Patriots Podcast. I'm going to show you how to make a beautiful and beautiful flower. I'm going to use a small flower pot. I'm going to use a small pot Hello to all of you, Foxborough faithful. It is Meet the New Guy Monday here on the Lockdown Patriots podcast, your daily home for news notes and analysis infused with the occasional opinion

on your six-time Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots. Today's episode is brought to you by Built Bar. Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to BuiltBar.com and use promo code LOCKEDON to get $10 off your first order. Patriots Nation, what is happening? It is Monday, June 29th, 2020. My name is Mike DeBate, your host of the Locked On Patriots podcast, which of course is a

proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. And folks, because it's your team every day, that means your questions, comments, and feedback always welcomed and greatly appreciated. Feel free to share that feedback anytime by reaching out to me and following me on Twitter at MDABATEFPC. And while you're out there saying how you doing to the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots. Pats fans, we are in the waning moments of the offseason.

And folks, if you did not think that the Patriots had just one more up their sleeve, well then you may not know your New England Patriots as well as you think you do. They had one up their sleeve, and it's a good one. Because this year, all of you Foxborough faithful will be entering Newton. And no, for all of my Massachusetts listeners out there, I'm not talking about the suburb in Boston. Sunday night, as first reported by Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter of ESPN, Cam Newton has agreed to a one-year deal with your New England Patriots that is being described as low risk, potential high reward, and incentive laden.

Now, without question, folks, this sent shockwaves through the NFL fandom world, through NFL media, and most importantly, here in New England. And again, when I say New England, I don't just mean the region of New England. I mean all of Patriots Nation. No matter where you are, we're all united by one common thread. We're all New Englanders. And the newest New Englander in 2020 will be Cam Newton. And if I'm being honest, folks, I was a little more than surprised at Sunday evening's news.

I'm sure you'll all recall, and I'm not going to shy away from it, folks, that I didn't believe the Patriots would pursue Cam. I was hitting the Stidham stump. I believed very strongly that Jarrett Stidham would be the starter in 2020. I still may end up being right on that account, but I was definitely wrong on the Patriots pursuit of Cam Newton. And I'm so happy that I can use this line. It wasn't personal.

It was strictly business. I just simply believed that Cam was going to be requesting a contract that was higher than what the Patriots were able to give. But as my good friend, the source of all financial knowledge when it comes to your New England Patriots, my good friend Miguel Benzon, aka the Patscap, said last night, this deal is apparently high on incentives and low on upfront cash, meaning that it's an affordable deal for the Patriots. Again, low risk, high reward. And that reward could be substantial. When healthy, Newton has been a difference maker on the field.

He's posted at least 3,000 passing yards and 300 rushing yards each season from 2011 to 2018. Not an easy task to complete, folks. He's also no stranger to being the guy on the field. He won the NFL MVP in 2015, threw a career-high 35 touchdown passes while leading the Panthers to a 15-1 record and a trip to the Super Bowl. I can honestly say Cam Newton is one of the most electrifying athletes I've ever seen on a football field, and he brings a wealth of talent to the position. But although he spent eight out of nine seasons in Carolina playing at a high level, Newton has been limited by both shoulder and foot injuries, and folks, that shoulder injury is to his throwing shoulder. Those injury concerns have caused the 31-year-old to make only, and then the Panthers signed former New Orleans Saints quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to take over as the starter under

new coach Matt Rule down in Carolina. If we're being honest, Cam's name was linked to New England since Tom Brady's departure. I think all of us have seen at least a dozen photoshopped images of Cam Newton wearing a Patriots jersey. That was prior to last night when it was just a concept. But most people connected to the New England Patriots, whether by fandom or by media, seemed to think that the Patriots had made their decision to roll with Jarrett Stidham in 2020. I'll be honest, and I'll own it, folks. I was one of them. And once again, it's not because I wasn't a fan of Cam's game. When he's healthy and locked in, I love watching him play football.

I wasn't a big fan of his schematic fit here in New England, although I could see Josh McDaniels being able to utilize him, but most of all, I simply didn't believe the Patriots would sign Cam Newton for two reasons. One, I simply believed that Cam was out of their price range, and two, I didn't think he would come here to be a backup to Jarrett Stidham. But throughout Cam Newton's free agency, folks, reports continued to circulate that Newton was willing to accept either a starting or a backup role in the right situation. And Adam Schefter in his media rounds Sunday night and Monday morning pretty much confirmed that. He wasn't really interested in many other places. He wanted New England. And because the money worked, there was a logistical fit,

and obviously a desire on both sides to do business, Cam Newton finds himself in New England. And he's not just coming here, folks, to take a tour of Foxborough during the summer. He is absolutely coming here to compete for the starting quarterback position. I firmly believe that Cam not only wants to attempt to reestablish himself in the upper echelon of the NFL signal callers, I truly believe that he is highly motivated to prove to everyone that not only does he still have it, but I think he might even have, dare I say, a little chip on his shoulder, and that may make Cam Newton even more formidable than he already is. So on behalf of locked-on Patriots, welcome to New England, Cam Newton.

But what about the other Auburn Tiger on the Patriots quarterback depth chart? That's right, folks, Jarrett Stidham. Most of us seem pretty content to stand on the Stidham stump this year. What does Cam Newton's signing mean for Jarrett, both this year and beyond? Is there still a chance that Jarrett might win the starting job this year? And last but not least, what is it that Cam Newton brings to the table that Jarrett Stidham could not? Who better to answer these questions on this pair of Auburn Tigers than someone who covered

both of them during their days at Auburn? That's right, folks. Joining me today on the hot seat is Zach Blackerby, host of Locked On Auburn, and we'll talk a little bit about Cam Newton. What is it about his prowess on the field that could change the complexity of the Patriots offense this year? Does he have the innate leadership to command the locker room and be the face of the franchise? And last but certainly not least, we'll ask him about Jarrett Stidham as well, and what

this means for his future in New England moving forward. It's always a blast when Zach joins me here on the microphone, and I look forward to bringing you some of his tiger wisdom and counsel when he joins me here on the Locked On Patriots podcast in just a moment. But first, folks, it wasn't all happy times on Sunday night. Cam Newton signing in New England wasn't the only news that broke surrounding your New England Patriots over the weekend. Seemingly within minutes of each other, the NFL finally decided to release its findings

and subsequent sanctions on the Patriots when it came to the videotaping incident back in December of 2019 when a Kraft Productions television crew was admonished for filming the field and the sidelines during a game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns. So without further ado, here are the sanctions. The NFL will fine the Patriots $1.1 million, and they have docked them a third-round pick in 2021. In addition, the Patriots television production crews

will not be allowed to shoot any games during the 2020 season, and senior club officials will be required to undergo training on league operation and game policies. The NFL also banned David Mondillo, the gentleman responsible for the videotaping. He was suspended by the team at the time of the NFL's investigation from NFL facilities until further notice, and prior to the league's discipline, Mundillo's employment had been terminated by Kraft Productions.

Now, the Patriots did issue a statement on this very subject back in December, and they acknowledged the incident, calling it an unintended oversight. And folks, right here on Friday, we talked about this very subject with sports legal expert Daniel Lust, and I have to be honest, a part of me wondered whether we had jinxed the Patriots a little bit with that, but some would have you believe. Those that want to stand on a platform of self-righteousness, which folks, really is just an elaborate smokescreen for a hatred of a team that has basically dominated the NFL for the last 20 years.

They've dominated based on intelligence, preparedness, and skill. Those that believe the Patriots dominated this league based on cheating, well, keep telling yourself that. Maybe it'll help you sleep better at night. I don't know. But these beacons of honesty and virtue will argue that the penalty was not harsh enough. Folks, when you see that the NFL has only taken the measures of stripping a team of a draft pick for violations that directly implicated that organization's football operations, and to the best of our knowledge that didn't happen here, that seems like a punishment that is disproportionate to the crime. It's not a joke, it's not a slap on the wrist. Those that want to hate the Patriots, that's their prerogative to do

so, but the fact is that any other team would have received a smaller fine and no docking of draft picks. The Patriots' biggest burden of guilt here was past perception, not the videotaping of a one-win team that the Patriots could have beaten while sleepwalking. This was an added slap by the NFL to appease the hardliners. And when I say hardliners, folks, I mean the owners that would love to see the Patriots banished from the league. But again, it's my opinion that this was done to appease them. And folks, the bottom line is, if the violation was that egregious, that punishment would have been far more severe.

Again, I use the caveat that we don't yet know the extent of the NFL's findings. But I can confidently say that if they had found more than what we know, Patriots would have been hit with a lot more than what they got. That draft pick would have turned into at least one first rounder, and that fine would have been a lot higher. The fact that this was a substantial fine and the loss of a third rounder tells me that the penalty handed down was made to be more severe because it was the Patriots. In this case, folks, the punishment did not fit the crime, and anyone feeling outrage

over this really should take a look at their own team's sheet of indiscretions before casting the first stones. But if there is a silver lining to all this, Patriots fans, it's that a decision has been made and it's finally time to move on. According to ESPN's Mike Reese, the Patriots will not be contesting these sanctions, basically because the appellate process in this situation, folks, is really not very robust, and putting this behind them allows the Patriots to move on to a new era, quite possibly moving on to the Cam Newton era here in New England. And in just one moment, Zach Blackerby of Locked On Auburn will join me here on the pod, and we will discuss Cam's arrival in New England, as well as the impact it will have not only on Cam himself, but also on the Patriots' offense, on Josh McDaniels, and on Jarrett Stidham.

Sit tight, folks, and action-packed pod coming at you in just a moment. But first, folks, as we continue to navigate through these tumultuous times, I remind you that the Locked On Podcast Network stands against racism and social injustice. That's why we, the Locked On hosts, are making personal donations to local and national organizations that are fighting for change. And in the month of June, Locked On is matching the total of all host donations up to an additional $10,000. To make your own donation along with us, please visit LockedOnPodcast.com slash Black Lives Matter. Pats fan Zach Blackerby of Locked On Auburn will join me in just a moment.

But first, the news of Cam Newton's arrival in Foxborough definitely left us all with a bit more spring in our step. Dare I say a little more energy? Well, this being summer and all, if you find yourself in need of just a bit more energy, I have great news for you. Your search for a protein bar that gives you everything you need and everything you want is over because Built Bar is that tasty treat that you've been looking for. So don't delay. Make it your go-to bar today. One of my favorites continues to be the Double Chocolate Mousse.

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box. So you too can eat healthy while indulging in a delicious treat. Don't delay. Make Bilt Bar your go-to protein bar today. Patriots fans, in the wake of Tom Brady's departure, we all anticipated that a former Auburn Tiger would be the man taking starting snaps under center for the Patriots in 2020. And that is still very likely to happen. However, it might not be who we originally thought.

So in that light, who better to speak with on this issue than a man that knows a thing or two about Auburn quarterbacks? That's right, folks. My guest today is the program director of the Auburn Network, and he's the host of Locked On Auburn right here on the Locked On Podcast Network. It is my pleasure to be joined by my good friend, Zach Blackerby. Zach, welcome back to the Lockdown Patriots Podcast, my friend. Mike, always a pleasure, man.

Yeah, we had a crazy Sunday evening. I can't wait to kind of jump into it and kind of dissect this thing. Absolutely. And my friend, it's always my pleasure to join you on the microphone. Always my pleasure to have you here on Locked On Patriots. And, you know, remember him, folks? Yeah, he's still on the team. I wanted to get your impressions on Cam Newton. And we know he is a former Auburn Tiger. We all know about his pro career in Carolina and some of the great things he's done there.

But at Auburn, Cam is, dare I say, in that legendary type of status. We all remember that 2010 season, the BCS National Championship, the Heisman Trophy, followed up by nine, well, at least eight of nine strong seasons in Carolina, had the 2015 MVP, birth in the Super Bowl. Cam's resume speaks for itself. But as I said previously here on Lockdown Patriots, there's an injury history there that we have to keep our eye on, and it includes one who was throwing shoulder, which could cause some concern. Zach, when you look at Cam Newton, to a certain extent from a pro perspective, but pulling from your knowledge of him as an Auburn Tiger, what should Patriots fans expect from a character and leadership perspective from Cam? Because that is something that fans are a little

bit squeamish on as I look through some of the Twitter and some of the social media backlash, when it comes to cam signing in new England, if he's healthy and properly motivated, can he be the guy to lead this team and immediately command the respect of his peers? Yeah, I think so. I think so. I mean, I look around the, you know, some of his former teammates tweeting out at him saying congratulations Sunday evening. I think that kind of speaks for itself.

But also just talking to several former Auburn guys that kind of watched him work out and watched him train. I mean, he's a lead-by-example guy. I know we see all this flashy attire and what kind of hat is he going to wear in the postgame press conference and is he going to call any reporters out kind of thing. But this guy works harder than anybody. And so, you know, just hearing different types of, you know,

stories from former players and saying like, hey, you know, we only got a year with this guy, but he came in day one and worked his tail off every single day. You're hearing that from the Christian McCaffreys and the Greg Olsens of the world now. And I think that says something. I think guys like playing with Cam Newton. And I think this flash, you know,

hey, everybody look at me kind of mentality that we're all assuming based on his fashion choices. I don't know if that's fully what you get with him in the locker room. And I am curious to see what Belichick's going to do with that if they let him go with that or if they kind of say, hey, we can try to be a team-first guy here.

But I think he is a team-first guy, Mike. I think when you really come down to it, Cam Newton, he wants to win more than anyone that I've ever covered. And I think that's going to translate to the Patriot way that New England fans have grown to love and trust to love and, and trust that whole process. And I think Cam Newton embodies that and whether that's him, you know, needing to hand the football off a little bit more one game or find ways to, you know, kind of battle through some, uh, some bumps and bruises.

If he's, if he needs to lower his shoulder a few times in a game, I think that's really what it comes down to for cam is what can he do to help the team win? And, you know, Belichick loves those guys. I think it makes really what it comes down to for cam is what can he do to help the team win? And, you know, Belichick loves those guys. I think it makes sense scheme wise. I don't know if it's necessarily going to look the same, but as far as what they want between the years and,

you know, you know, as far as the heart for wanting to win and do what's best for your football team, I think cam's the guy. And as far as the leadership aspect of it, I think you want a quarterback that's going to lead by example. New England's had that for the last 20 years,

and I think they got it for another one now. I do too. And, you know, a lot of what's made out of Cam's, I don't want to say character issues, because I really think that does him a disservice. But I think a lot of what some Patriots fans are a little concerned about right now is, obviously, the 2015 Super Bowl, when you look at the fact that there was the fumble, he didn't jump on that. lot of what some Patriots fans are a little concerned about right now is obviously the

2015 Super Bowl. When you look at the fact that there was the fumble, he didn't jump on that. I hear so many people go into that. And I think that's an anomaly. I don't think that's something that he should be, you know, forever saddled with in terms of a, I guess, for lack of a better term, a problem that's going to follow him around throughout his entire career. I happen to think that Cam's heart and soul has been on display several times when it comes to that. He is a hard worker. His teammates, players that are playing on opposing teams, have done nothing but laud his work ethic and his abilities to be able to command a locker room and command respect.

I think that's the player that the Patriots are getting. And I think in a lot of ways it's going to pay dividends for them on the field. So pulling on that for a moment and staying on the field, when you look at Cam Newton, now my indelible moment of him as a tiger, as an Auburn tiger, I think obviously came against another set of tigers this time of the LSU variety. And I think, you know, the play I'm going to be talking about October 23rd, 2010, 49 yard touchdown run in which Newton escaped two tackles, corrected himself with his arm,

which is amazing folks. If you haven't had a chance to go and look at that, trust me, look at it. You're going to be really excited by it. Alluded to additional tackles, dragged the defender into the end zone, scored the touchdown.

Obviously cam Newton can play. There zone, scored the touchdown. Obviously, Cam Newton can play. There's no question about it. Zach, you're a part of the Foxborough Faithful now, and you are familiar with the creativity of Josh McDaniels. Assuming he's healthy, which again, folks, we have no reason to believe he's not, but when you have injuries to your throwing shoulder and some injuries to your wheels, there has to be a concern concern but we'll assume he's healthy could a connection between a guy like josh mcdaniels who loves to get creative and play calling and a guy like cam newton be a thing of beauty in new england this year on the field yeah i think so i think so i mean you saw early in his time at auburn i mean he paired up with gus malzahn who's kind of one of the pioneers of this hurry

up, no huddle that's now worked its way into the next level. I don't know necessarily what it looks like as far as comparing it to, you know, the typical Tom Brady, Josh McDaniels offense. I don't know. And, you know, obviously if Jarrett Stenum were to somehow win the job, I think it would look more similar to that. But with Cam, you can just do so much more with him. And we saw different forms of Cam in the Panthers offense over his time there. And I think he looked most comfortable when there was a lot of play fakes, when there was a lot of smoke and mirrors, and he was able to kind of use his legs a little bit to make himself more comfortable.

What does that look like with Josh McDaniels? Mike, I don't know. But I think we're going to see some creativity there, you know, whether it's gonna, you know, him rolling out of the backfield and possibly catching a pass from, uh,

from, you know, Julian element or something fun like that. I think he's a guy that is able to do all of that. And I know you mentioned his injury history in the past and, you know, he, he battled with some things while he was at Auburn as well,

but that's just kind of par for the course when you're a physically-minded quarterback that's willing to do anything to win. So as far as scheme goes, I think he's going to want to throw the ball. I think he's going to want to take some shots, and I think the big question is, who does he take shots to in New England?

You would know that better than me. But yeah, I think we're going to see some really creative, really fun things as far as using his feet and using his arm and kind of making the most with these New England receivers that are hopefully going to stay healthy this year. Greatly said. And I agree with you. In a lot of ways, I appreciate you kind of putting that back in my court when it came

to guys that I think are going to benefit most from a guy like Cam Newton in the offense. The first thing that I wrote down last night when I first heard that Cam was coming to New England was Nikhil Harry. This is definitely a budding relationship that I think can pay dividends for both of these guys. Cam is that type of quarterback that can be very elusive. He can make throws on the run. He can extend plays with his legs, but he's not afraid to throw the ball into coverage and see what his receivers can go ahead and do. Harry, on the other hand, was excellent at Arizona State of going up and making contested catches. I can see these two being very much on the same page. There's a lot of speed, a lot of toughness with the way they both play the game.

And I think that's going to be a really good marriage. The other guy that I think is going to benefit from having a guy like Cam Newton in the offense, believe it or not, is a guy like Sony Michelle, who I believe is going to benefit from having a mobile quarterback, someone that can run those RPOs, those run pass options, which we've been hearing a lot of smatterings that the Patriots wanted to do that employing Jared Stidham. And in just a moment, folks, we'll get into what this signing means for Jarrett and the potential that the Patriots might have on the field with either Cam or with Jarrett. But I think Sony is going to see a little bit more opportunity this year, maybe even a little bit more holes opened up because I think so many offensive opposing defensive linemen, excuse me, are going to have to scheme for Cam either running or passing

the football. That's a nightmare. We saw the Patriots offensive line have difficulty, you know, protecting Tom Brady last year when he was just mobile in the pocket. And I think a lot of that caused some holes to close and Sony wasn't able to hit the holes hard and get through them. I think he has a little bit more of an open lane now, and I think that could pay dividends for him down the line.

So, again, I really appreciate the candor that you have when it comes to Cam coming to New England and what this can mean for the New England Patriots. But even though his pro career will be forever linked to Carolina, he will always be an Auburn Tiger at heart. But he isn't the only Tiger on the roster, folks. Jarrett Stidham. Yeah, remember him? He still figures to be in the mix to start a quarterback for this team.

And Zach knows Jarrett's capabilities as well as anyone. So in just a moment, Zach Blackerby and I will discuss the Jarrett Stidham situation and what the signing of Cam Newton might do to the balance of power in the Patriots locker room. Might it even be good for Jarrett? All this and more when the Lockdown Patriots podcast continues. Folks, Lockdown Patriots with myself and Zach Blackerby will continue in just a moment. But as the calendar starts to creep toward the month of July, we know that summer is

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Make sure to put Locked On in their How Did You Hear About Us box so they know we sent you. Amazing selection, reliably low prices, all the parts your car will ever need. rockauto.com. Patriots Nation, Zach Blackerby of Locked On Auburn joins me today on the pod. And Zach, the signing of Cam Newton has Patriots fans intrigued, to say the least. Now, some are elated, some not so much, but they're all keeping a sharp eye on the Patriots quarterback room for certain. I was very vocal on here about, you know a sharp eye on the Patriots quarterback room for certain. I was very vocal on here about, you know, on locked on Patriots that the stars seem to be aligned for Jarrett to become the starter here.

And from what I've heard, not directly from the team, but from the buzz surrounding this is that Jarrett will still have a chance to compete, maybe even earn the starting job this year. From your assessment of both men on the field, having covered Cam, having covered Jarrett, what are the Patriots gaining in Cam Newton that they would not have had if Jarrett Stidham was their only option other than Brian Hoyer this year in the quarterback room?

Sure, sure. Let me preface this by I love Jarrett Stidham. I love his game. I think he's still raw, but I think he has a tremendous ceiling. But as far as something that Cam has that Stidham does not, is there is a... Cam has this switch. You see all these special players. Tom had it.

I mean, just whenever it's time to go, they're able to just kind of transcend what they're normally able to do. And I think Cam Newton is just a total gamer. I think he has the it factor as far as being special and being able to play a championship level type of football. And I think the big question is, okay, he still maybe has that, you know, that level of ambition and that level of being able to kind of shine when the lights are, you know, brightest.

But can he maintain that over 16 games with his current body? And I think that's kind of the biggest question there, but as far as upside and as far as being able to turn it on, that's something that Jarrett just never had at Auburn. Now he didn't have as many opportunities as Cam did, you know, when in 2010, when Auburn eventually, you know, won every game and won the national championship, but Auburn lost like, or Auburn almost lost like five or six games that year.

And it was just become, you know, they were the cardiac cats is kind of what all these, all these, you know, ESPN folks were calling the Auburn Tigers in 2010, because they'd either be down or tied with a few minutes left to go and they would come back. And then you saw it a few years ago when Cam had his MVP season and all the Auburn fans were like, yeah, that's exactly that. This is the Cam that we grew to love and kind of watched grow up before our very eyes. Stidham didn't do that.

Stidham didn't have as many chances for one, but whenever it was like, okay, Jarrett, you really need to go down and score, he didn't do it. He wasn't able to do it against UCF. He wasn't able to it. You know, he wasn't able to do it against UCF. He wasn't able to do it against Alabama. Wasn't able to do it against Mississippi State. And all the other games, it was like, okay, either the defense just kind of stood their ground

that eventually wore the opposing teams out. But when it really came down to crunch time, Stidham wasn't able to do that. And you can blame it on, you know, offensive line woes at Auburn or, you know, receivers not really stepping up. But I think when it comes down to it, if you're a quarterback,

you need to will your team to victory in some cases. And Stidham did not do that. And Cam did it literally every time he had the chance to. Yeah, I think that's such great insight and insight that I think Patriots fans all over need to remember and keep in mind when it comes to guys like Cam and guys like Jarrett. And a lot of what I saw, again, on social media last night, when it came to the Patriots fans and when it came to their level of enthusiasm about signing Cam, some people were really concerned that this was an indictment on Jarrett Stidham.

I don't believe it's an indictment on Jarrett. I think it simply adds another dimension to the quarterback room. Let's not forget, folks, the Patriots, like all other NFL teams, had a much different offseason than they're used to. A lot more virtual workouts. I know we've seen teams, we've even seen our former quarterback working out with his new players, but Jarrett Stidham is essentially a rookie quarterback this year. He's only taken limited snaps in the NFL. And when you expect a guy like Jarrett Stidham to have to come in and take over a team that was quarterbacked by an icon in this region for nearly 20 years, you have to expect that there are going to be some growing pains.

So I'm not saying Jarrett is not ready. I believed he was. I still believe he's capable of leading this team and being a very formidable quarterback for this team. But it makes sense when you think about why they would bring in a guy like Cam Newton. He's got that experience. He's got that ability. And again, you said it perfectly.

The Patriots are used to a quarterback that says, OK, you need a score. I'm going to go down and I'm going to get you a score and I'm going to put it in the hands of my defense. We've seen Tom Brady do that countless number of times. If there is a player right now that is not comfortable doing that, namely Jared Stidham, you have to get some sort of a player on the field. That's going to be able to do that. And that actually leads me quite nicely into my last question for you today, my friend, and that's the Patriots will definitely be must see TC this year, not TV folks, TC meaning training camp. And if the narrative is to be believed, new England's going to have a true quarterback competition for the first time in nearly two decades, we've already gone into assuming both men are at their very best. Cam Newton, I believe

would be the choice if that's the case, if for no other reason, like I said before, than his experience, but he also wins the athleticism battle as well. So I think he's got the leg up on the competition in two scenarios. However, is there a scenario that you can envision where Jarrett Stidham actually benefits from the presence of Ken Newton and potentially propel him right into the starting slot this year? No, I don't think so. I think you can make the argument long-term, but as far as who's going to start for New England this year, I mean, Cam's not losing a position battle.

I just don't see that happening. One, I don't see him signing to potentially be a backup, but like I said, if there is a competition in training Cam and Cam is competing with another human being and it's one-on-one i'm taking cam 99 out of 100 times for for anything and so i jared may have uh the leg up as far as knowing what to do in the scheme and the playbook and all of that but i really think i really think it's underrated how smart Cam Newton is as far as knowing what's happening between the numbers and reading defenses and all of that

and kind of just being able to understand that everything is happening. I think Cam is a lot better at that than a lot of people truly realize. And that dates back to his time at Auburn as well. So no disrespect to Jared, once again. I think he's going to be a solid NFL quarterback. But just as far as if it's mono-e-mono, it's Cam Newton every day of the week, in my opinion, in my opinion. Now, if you want to make the argument long-term, is this good?

It gives Jared one more year in the system, and then he can kind of be the guy after that, assuming Cam Newton has a good year in New England and Belichick doesn't want to pay the guy long-term, which we've seen time and time and time again. I think then it makes a whole lot of sense. But as far as this year, Mike, I don't see Jarrett getting on the field as a starter role

unless something happens to Cam. Yeah, and I think in a lot of ways, I agree with your assessment. Like I said, I still believe Jarrett will be in the mix, but I think with the competition between these two, it's going to bring out that competitiveness in Cam. And I think he's motivated. I think he's a little bit, dare I say,

insulted by the fact that he had to settle for a one-year incentive-laden deal in order to prove that he could still do it. I think he's going into a great situation in New England. Again, we mentioned before, Josh McDaniels, Bill Belichick, these guys are savvy coaches. And McDaniels has been clamoring, at least according to reports that we've heard, for a mobile quarterback to help institute those run-pass options.

We even heard smatterings that Josh was really not all that interested in the Carolina position simply because he found out Cam wasn't going to be there. He really wanted to work with him. So you have to wonder, and again, folks, this is pure speculation on my part, not reporting it, I'm just stating it as a rumor that's been out there. You have to wonder, maybe Josh behind the scenes was pushing for this a little bit and saying, let's see and kick the tires on this kid and see what he still has in the tank. I still think he has a lot.

You mentioned earlier his sartorial expertise, and I think from a journalistic perspective, I'm really looking forward to seeing what this guy wears to his press conferences and the flair that he's able to bring. A little bit of savvy. Yeah, it will. I mean, let's face it. Bill's got a unique fashion sense as well.

I mean, we're not talking about a unique uh fashion sense as well i mean let's you know i mean we're not talking about uh you know a guy that's not uh well yeah i think you know i think you can make the argument that they're on opposite ends of the fashion uh you know spectrum i think uh cam is right on point and i think bill is you know probably uh you know somewhere bottom of the barrel but they're both unique you've got to give them credit they're both unique in their fashion sense um But I look forward to seeing this. I thank you for your insight on Cam Newton. Things that I did not know, things that I'm sure our listeners did not know about Cam

and about Jarrett that you can bring to the table. And that is why I was so glad to have you on as my guest today. Zach, where can our listeners here at Locked On Patriots follow you, your great work? These two podcasts are connected now. We have a seminal link, my friend. There's a distinct Auburn flavor in Foxborough, and I encourage my listeners

to check out your great show. You do an amazing job covering the Tigers, but if for no other reason, you know Zach's going to have something to say about his former mates in Auburn that are now up in Foxborough. And for that reason, my friend, the floor is yours. Please let everyone know where they can find you and follow your great work.

Well, Mike, I want to point your listeners to one thing specifically as I join you today. You mentioned at the top of our conversation, you know, Cam Newton reaching that legendary status while he was at Auburn. And, I mean, the guy's got a statue that you have to walk past to get into Jordan here stadium. And, or if you're going anywhere on campus, you got to walk past the Cam Newton and Bo Jackson, uh, statues. But one thing, uh, one thing I worked on two months ago and I put a lot of time into it, but I made this, uh, the six part audio documentary series for locked on Auburn on Auburn about the 2010 season, really

following Cam Newton. His quarterback battle was interesting because nobody knew where this kid was. He went to Florida and then got kicked out and went to community college. Then this controversial recruitment between Mississippi State and Auburn. He slowly

comes into form and then the NCAA comes down on him and just how he kind of bounced back from all of this. I had a lot of really good interviews, a lot of really good soundbites. And so it's a six-part documentary that I really would encourage your listeners to go. And it's like, that's who Cam is. And, you know, you talk about him turning that switch on and him fighting adversity. I mean, this guy was 20, 21 years old at this time. And all the stuff that he went through in that

season and was able to win all of these close games. I think, I think if folks went to listen to that, it's a, it's in the locked on Auburn podcast feed. It aired last month. It's six parts. It's all in a row. I really encourage you to go listen to that, to really understand who, who this new England quarterback is and kind of where his career really took off, and it was at Auburn. But I really, really would appreciate you guys,

if you checked that out, I think you'd really enjoy it. And I'm really proud of the product that me and a few of the guys here at the radio station did putting that together. You can follow me on Twitter at ZBlackaby, and of course, follow Locked on Auburn wherever you get your podcasts. Absolutely.

And again, folks, I cannot recommend Zach's work highly enough. That six part documentary is something I will absolutely be checking out. I, along with Zach, encourage you to do that. I think you'll find a lot about Cam Newton. I think you'll find a lot about the great work that this guy can do and any type of education that we can get to make ourselves better football fans and better, you know, better opportunities for us to be able to provide you with the information. We'll definitely take it. Zach, thank you so much for coming on today.

Stay safe. Stay well. Have a great week. And we look forward to having you back really soon here on Locked On Patriots. Hey, thanks, Mike. Appreciate it. And so Patriots fans, with that, we put a lid on the first Locked On Patriots podcast in the Cam Newton era in Foxborough.

And I have no doubt that the insight of my good friend Zach Blackerby may have given you a little bit of a different view of Cam Newton, perhaps filled you with a little extra optimism. But in the interest of sticking with the theme of variety being the spice of life, there are differing opinions out there. And here tomorrow on Locked On Patriots, I will bring you one of those opinions, of the dissenting nature. And also, we're not quite done talking about those

quote-unquote sanctions that were levied on the Patriots by the NFL for the Cincinnati videotaping incident. Who might have the esteemed wisdom and counsel to tell it like it is on both counts? Well, folks, I probably gave it away, but I'll tell you what. I'm going to leave you in suspense until tomorrow as to who my guests will be. And if you can't wait to find out, you'll want to make sure that you do not miss a single episode of Locked on Patriots.

So follow us on Spotify, subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, and don't forget, you can always listen to Locked on Patriots right on your very own smart device. How do you do so? Very simple. Just ask it to play the latest episode of Locked On Patriots. And if you've enjoyed today's podcast, now tell your smart device to play the most recent episode of Locked On NFL. Once again, I'm Mike DeBate.

I thank my good friend Zach Blackerby for his time, his insight, and his appearance today. But most importantly, I thank you all so much for listening and for staying locked in to Locked On Patriots. Stay safe, stay well, be the change you wish to see in the world, and have a great day, everyone.