Cam Newton signs with Carolina

Justthetippett

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At his best BB makes moves like this. Honestly makes last year even more confounding once Cam returned from his COVID stint and his limitations became so apparent. Unless we saw the return of 2015 Cam this year, the team would have been mired in a QB controversy for weeks, which would have had its own affect on the locker room. Mac will get a chance to rely on the running game and build week to week. It’s really his best opportunity for success. I’m all for it.
 

DourDoerr

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Maybe. To me, GFIN mode would include some A-list receivers. Agholor and Meyers do not scream Lombardi to me. And can Jalen Mills produce near a Gilmore level until he returns?

I'm not saying the plan is bad, I'm just not sold that enough pieces are in place to justify throwing Jones into the fire.
Trades ARE made in season sometimes.
 

Soxy

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I certainly had a feeling this was coming.
Yeah, I’m not all that shocked by this move. I said from day one that if it’s close at all, they should go with Mac, and I’m not certain it was even all that close.

Having Mac look over his shoulder all season wouldn’t make a ton of sense. Give him the reigns and let’s see what he can do.
 

RSN Diaspora

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Who were the Giants' best receivers when they won their SBs?
Who were the Eagles' best receivers when they won the SB?
Who were the Ravens' best receivers when they won either of their SBs?
Again, I'm not saying the plan is bad, I'm just not sold that enough pieces are in place to justify throwing Jones into the fire. Yes, you can win with suboptimal personnel (remember that our first Lombardi came with Antowain Smith as our #1 RB), it just doesn't scream "go for broke".
 

Phil Plantier

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So what would be a more feasible and desirable situation for Cam?

  • Back up Lamar
  • Start in Houston
  • Wait for a QB to get injured
  • Sign in Denver
  • Back up Zac Wilson
  • Back up Dak
  • Sign in Philadelphia
  • Back up Jameis
 

Deathofthebambino

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Maybe. To me, GFIN mode would include some A-list receivers. Agholor and Meyers do not scream Lombardi to me. And can Jalen Mills produce near a Gilmore level until he returns?

I'm not saying the plan is bad, I'm just not sold that enough pieces are in place to justify throwing Jones into the fire.
Agholor, Meyers, Bourne at receiver

Henry and Jonnu at tight end.

James White and the rest out of the backfield.

They may not be A-list at WR, but that's as good a set of weapons they've had in a long time for the offense they will run.

Hard to bring in much more splash than that, and have guys like Judon and the rest of the defense as well.
 

nolasoxfan

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I love the decisiveness of this move. Rip off the BandAid and move on.

I want to be gracious here and thank Cam for something he added to this team, but I'm having trouble thinking of anything that I'm thankful for...other than him leaving. To be honest, I never liked the Cam signing and am thrilled the Pats are starting anew with MacJ. LFG!
 

Jimbodandy

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I don't think you can really make this comparison. Brady was a 6th round pick and was probably a better bet to get cut than even make the roster his rookie year. Mac is a first rounder, in today's NFL first round QBs start their rookie years, particularly when the incumbent was hot garbage the year before. Not to say a red-shirt year wouldn't have benefitted Mac, maybe it would have. Just think the comparison to Brady's situation doesn't hold water.
It holds water in the sense that they were both slight guys with about the same college games played, both at good schools. They're more alike than different, prospect pedigree aside.

I'm shocked by this, but In Bill We Trust.
 
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steveluck7

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It kind of wouldn't shock me if Cam ends up back with the Pats, but clearly as a backup. Let him see if there is a better situation out there for him--I doubt there are many/any--and then re-sign him.
It would be a mild shock to me. He's talked a lot about how it's been tough with his family not being nearby, etc. Assuming he will remain unvaccinated, if he can't find a spot with a team close to his family, i could see him sitting out this year and then trying to latch on somewhere next season when, hopefully, COVID protocols are a thing of the past.
 

BaseballJones

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I'm holding my breath. I'm SO ready to take a huge victory lap with Mac given how I was gushing about him during last season at Alabama, especially when a lot of people were not at all convinced he'd be any good. But I still need to see him in play in real games against real opponents to be 100% sure.
 

radsoxfan

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Agree with others that the most definitive reason for excitement is that BB/McDaniels feel Mac won the QB job and is the better QB for the team this year. Many here already felt that way but good to have the confirmation, very excited for the season.

As to Cam, who knows if he was given the option to stay as backup or not. My hunch is that Bill didn't like that dynamic and if you include the vaccine/availability issue, he is happy to put all his chips in the Mac basket.

If Mac gets hurt and we need a backup I doubt Bill thinks the drop-off from Cam to free agent X/Hoyer/Stidham etc is really that steep. We had Cam at a "bargain" price for a reason.
 

nattysez

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I'm holding my breath. I'm SO ready to take a huge victory lap with Mac given how I was gushing about him during last season at Alabama, especially when a lot of people were not at all convinced he'd be any good. But I still need to see him in play in real games against real opponents to be 100% sure.
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.
 

BaseballJones

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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.
 

Mooch

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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.
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.
 

DourDoerr

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This is surprising and the least surprising at the same time.

Cam's charismatic and deserves respect. That complicates the locker room. If you want everyone bought in and pulling together, you uncomplicate. BB uncomplicates things.
 

RedOctober3829

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Agree with others that the most definitive reason for excitement is that BB/McDaniels feel Mac won the QB job and is the better QB for the team this year. Many here already felt that way but good to have the confirmation, very excited for the season.

As to Cam, who knows if he was given the option to stay as backup or not. My hunch is that Bill didn't like that dynamic and if you include the vaccine/availability issue, he is happy to put all his chips in the Mac basket.

If Mac gets hurt and we need a backup I doubt Bill thinks the drop-off from Cam to free agent X/Hoyer/Stidham etc is really that steep. We had Cam at a "bargain" price for a reason.
It feels good to have the coaching staff feel the same way I did about Mac. He's going to go through growing pains, but it's time for him to take the reigns and let him see what he can do with the full compliment of first team reps and working primarily with the first team OL and skill guys. I'm so excited because they are building towards something instead of stuck in neutral with Cam waiting for Mac to start. If Mac isn't the guy, I want to know now as well. But I think he is and I think we're all going to be happy in the long-term for this move.
 

Deathofthebambino

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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.
Yep, especially with their corners lurking on the outside.

Of course, Flores knows this too, and BB knows that Flores knows this, so it shouldn't surprise anyone when BB dials up a game plan that involves Mac throwing on the first 20 plays, including a dozen right at Xavien Howard, just to get Mac's feet wet and throw off Flores.
 

AlNipper49

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One guy that I would not be surprised to see us kick the tires on is Blake Bortles. BB *loved* him coming out of college, he would be free, he’s senior enough to be a mentor to Mac, he can warm the backup seat for Stidham and he’s better than Hoyer in the event of a break glass situation.
 

radsoxfan

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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.
Surely this must be part of their reasoning for the change so soon.

They know rookie QBs tend to struggle, but Mac is going into the season (theoretically) a very good O-line, running game, tight ends, etc.

They aren't dropping him into the starting lineup and telling him to throw for 400 yards.
 

Mooch

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Yep, especially with their corners lurking on the outside.

Of course, Flores knows this too, and BB knows that Flores knows this, so it shouldn't surprise anyone when BB dials up a game plan that involves Mac throwing on the first 20 plays, including a dozen right at Xavien Howard, just to get Mac's feet wet and throw off Flores.
I remember going to the Gillette opener in 2002 after the Super Bowl win when Brady threw the ball all over the field against the Steelers. Reminds me of your post.
 

BaseballJones

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One guy that I would not be surprised to see us kick the tires on is Blake Bortles. BB *loved* him coming out of college, he would be free, he’s senior enough to be a mentor to Mac, he can warm the backup seat for Stidham and he’s better than Hoyer in the event of a break glass situation.
That's not a bad idea for a backup at all.
 

BaseballJones

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I remember going to the Gillette opener in 2002 after the Super Bowl win when Brady threw the ball all over the field against the Steelers. Reminds me of your post.
The difference being that Tom Brady had just won a Super Bowl for the Pats, while Mac Jones hasn't even played in a single real NFL game yet.
 

OurF'ingCity

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If Mac gets hurt and we need a backup I doubt Bill thinks the drop-off from Cam to free agent X/Hoyer/Stidham etc is really that steep. We had Cam at a "bargain" price for a reason.
Yeah exactly. If Mac gets hurt (or just sucks) this is a lost season regardless. I guess in an ideal world you want a better backup for the scenario where Mac just misses a game or two due to minor injury or Covid or whatever, but those should be available on the free agent market or for low-round picks similar to how the Eagles just got Minshew for very little.

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.
We know that Belichick views the first 4-5 weeks of the season as quasi-preseason, where the team tries out different things, throws untested guys into the fire to see how they perform, etc. So yeah, I won't be surprised at all if the Pats struggle early on - I think a 2-3 start wouldn't be the worst outcome all things considered. Much better Pats teams have struggled early on to a similar degree and turned it on when the games really count. The question really is how Mac improves from Week 1 to Week 8 or whatever (unless he's just awesome right out of the gate, which would be nice).
 

CoffeeNerdness

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Minshew is an anti-Patriots QB. Total wild card, gunslinger type looking to play into the Minshew Magic hype by making big plays out of nothing.
 

Captaincoop

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I love the decisiveness of this move. Rip off the BandAid and move on.

I want to be gracious here and thank Cam for something he added to this team, but I'm having trouble thinking of anything that I'm thankful for...other than him leaving. To be honest, I never liked the Cam signing and am thrilled the Pats are starting anew with MacJ. LFG!
Cam absolutely sucked from day one, and I still can't believe he limped along as the "starter" all the way to today.

In hindsight, he was probably mostly here as a threat to push Mac, I can't imagine Bill really was shocked by how all this played out.

In Bill we trust, LFG!
 

nattysez

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One guy that I would not be surprised to see us kick the tires on is Blake Bortles. BB *loved* him coming out of college, he would be free, he’s senior enough to be a mentor to Mac, he can warm the backup seat for Stidham and he’s better than Hoyer in the event of a break glass situation.
This is a great call.
 

Traut

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Again, I'm not saying the plan is bad, I'm just not sold that enough pieces are in place to justify throwing Jones into the fire. Yes, you can win with suboptimal personnel (remember that our first Lombardi came with Antowain Smith as our #1 RB), it just doesn't scream "go for broke".
You have Saban, Belichick, and McDaniels signing off on Mac. I think there's a good chance he's at least league average. And quite likely much much better. There's at least zero question in my mind he's better that Cam Newton right now. And that this team has a chance to compete.
 

ElcaballitoMVP

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I'm holding my breath. I'm SO ready to take a huge victory lap with Mac given how I was gushing about him during last season at Alabama, especially when a lot of people were not at all convinced he'd be any good. But I still need to see him in play in real games against real opponents to be 100% sure.
You need to see him play in real games before knowing he's legit? Ya don't say!

Congrats. You've just described every NFL prospect ever. :)
 

cornwalls@6

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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.
I think this is also an instance where having two weeks of practice before week 1 will help a lot. More reps, more film, more time for BB and Josh to fine tune the kind of game-plan you're referring to.
 

BringBackMo

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Bill doesn't fuck around. I feel bad for Cam because he was a model teammate and very fun to root for when things were going well, but this is clearly Mac's team going forward and its into the fire with him.
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.
 

radsoxfan

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In hindsight, he was probably mostly here as a threat to push Mac, I can't imagine Bill really was shocked by how all this played out.

In Bill we trust, LFG!
This checks out when you consider the contract. 2M signing bonus, 1.5M guaranteed base. Everything else roster bonus/incentives.

Basically an insurance policy in case they didn't get the QB they wanted in the draft and/or that another QB didn't look ready in the preseason.

Seems like Bill was quite ready for this possibility all along and happy Mac let it come to fruition.
 

OurF'ingCity

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Cam absolutely sucked from day one, and I still can't believe he limped along as the "starter" all the way to today.

In hindsight, he was probably mostly here as a threat to push Mac, I can't imagine Bill really was shocked by how all this played out.

In Bill we trust, LFG!
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.
 

Time to Mo Vaughn

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Looks like Bama beats Auburn again!

This checks out when you consider the contract. 2M signing bonus, 1.5M guaranteed base. Everything else roster bonus/incentives.

Basically an insurance policy in case they didn't get the QB they wanted in the draft and/or that another QB didn't look ready in the preseason.

Seems like Bill was quite ready for this possibility all along and happy Mac let it come to fruition.
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.
 

Ferm Sheller

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Ugh, I have a friend who's beside himself because he's so high on Cam Newton being the right guy. 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.
 

bakahump

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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"
 

Eck'sSneakyCheese

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Nearly dropped my phone when I saw this. Anyone who watched Mac play knew he was a better player than Cam. The thought that Bill was going to go status quo and just hand it to the vet seems laughable after the fact.

L.F.G.
 

Gash Prex

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Glad to see BB felt like I did watching the last pre-season game.

If this was a real competition, then Mac won. Concerned about the Dolphins game against a tough D to start.

Cam was terrible last season and his "good/fun attitude" didn't do anything for me.

If you are going with Mac this is the correct call - cannot have Cam sitting behind Mac and need a week to get everything ready for week one.