A wild offseason for the Patriots continues to produce questions surrounding the quarterback position, including what’s best for the Patriots for both the present and future. What’s best for the Patriots this season may still be up in the air.
The selection of Alabama standout Mac Jones has only complicated the situation, and the competition behind center has never been tenser in New England. But the decision surrounding the day one starter this season shouldn’t be a difficult one. Cam Newton is certainly what’s best for the Patriots to start the season, and Mac Jones should take a backseat until further notice.
It may be hard for Patriots fans to accept, but Newton gives them the best shot at what they are shooting for this season. Newton needs to be the leader of this revamped New England squad, and Jones should be observing, at least for now.
Cam Newton, Not Mac Jones, is What’s Best for the Patriots
Newton is Just…Better
Let’s stop with this notion that Jones is coming into the NFL as an established quarterback. He, along with the good majority of quarterbacks drafted this season, will not be anywhere close to their college self. His talent at Alabama was among the best in CFB history, and he’s now transitioning to a New England offense that is filled with newcomers.
Newton, an established NFL quarterback, has proven his worth on the Patriots. Say what you want about his season last year, but prior to his COVID departure, he looked like an MVP-caliber quarterback. Newton was running well, reading defenses, and dotting up opposing teams. A lot of NFL fans seem to have forgotten that stretch of the season. He’s got poise, experience, and knowledge of the playbook, three things Jones will be inferior in to start the season.
This is not a knock on Mac Jones. Cam Newton has simply been in an NFL setting longer and is much more suited to lead a team at the beginning of the season. Newton is what’s best for the Patriots because he is more talented than Jones in many aspects of the game.
With the roster that Belichick will be rolling out come September, the Patriots need to be competing, not developing.
Not the Time for a Rookie Campaign
To continue off my last point, the Patriots are not in a “rebuilding” phase anymore. One may have questioned the trajectory of the franchise six months ago, but their offseason moves have made it apparent that they are trying to compete in Belichick’s final years.
Mac Jones can BECOME a great quarterback. There’s no denying that. He’s got tools that a lot of young QBs don’t have. However, the Patriots have not set themselves up for a rookie campaign for Jones. They have acquired two top offensive talents and multiple defensive pieces. There is no question that Bill Belichick took last season as a slap in the face. With that being said, a rookie quarterback starting Week 1 admits defeat for a second year in a row, before the season even starts.
In most cases, rookie quarterbacks don’t start Week 1 with the intention of making the playoffs. What’s the main objective for that season? To establish a future for the franchise. That’s not what the Patriots need right now. If that was the case, Stephon Gilmore would be gone, Dont’a Hightower would be gone, and those offseason signings would not have happened. The Patriots are competing this season, not developing.
Newton has the ability to lead the Patriots to a Super Bowl appearance, Jones does not (yet). It’s as simple as that. When you’re determining what’s best for the Patriots, in this case, it’s where their Super Bowl chances lie with each quarterback. Those chances are much higher with Newton.
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