Bill Belichick then went out and signed Brian Hoyer with the notion that he would be involved in a quarterback competition. Hoyer knows the Patriots offense and was barely beat out by Stidham in 2019, so it made sense. Especially after he helped win Superbowl 53.
Bill then went and signed former NFL MVP and Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton a few weeks ago. With that, expectations from a few in Patriots Nation and the returning bandwagoners, was that Cam Newton would not have to do a thing in a Patriots uniform to become the next starter, even if every pass Newton threw in practice was an interception, he couldn't lose the job because he had a successful past.
On Friday July 31, 2020 Bill Belichick made a statement to the players as well as the fan base. While conspiracy theorists will call BS because it's not what they want to hear, let's look at what Belichick said.
Belichick told pro football talk, "That spot's the same as all the other spots on the team. We've got a long way to go, and we'll see how things turn out. I can't control how players perform. That's up to them. We'll give everybody an opportunity and see what happens."
Now I will honor the notion that previous experience means everything and that players don't have to earn a spot once in New England, that positions are just given out and that Belichick isn't a "what have you done for me lately" coach anymore. That Bill just lied to everyone, including his players.
If Belichick is just giving the spot to Cam Newton, why would he just say there will be a competition? For one, this is Hoyer's third stint in New England and as a backup quarterback, Hoyer is a very valuable player. Secondly, It keeps moral up between Hoyer and Stidham. Believing they have a chance, will get the best out of them.
Belichick was asked to elaborate on the Cam Newton signing. Without getting into too much detail, Belichick answered the question.
"Things worked out. We spent quite a bit of time with Cam, and he spent quite a bit of time with us. I think it was a mutual interest. We (spoke to) quite a ... number of different people and had a number of different conversations just trying to see how the fit would be. It was very positive on our end, and I'm glad it worked out."
The Patriots 'spent quite a bit of Time with Cam' before the signing? Now that doesn't sound like the story Newton told as he puffed on a cigar and said he went almost three months before Belichick called.
Also if Belichick had spent that much time with Newton, was the picture Cam put on his Instagram of him studying the playbook current at that time, or had it been taken months prior?
Belichick had conversations with Cam, was it like the conversations he had with Hoyer? Did Bill agree to sign Cam later in the offseason and ask Cam to keep it secret? Did Bill guarentee the starting role? If you believe my earlier statement about Bill just giving positions away, then one must believe you also believe all of this.
There's a phrase in New England. It's a phrase fans know. It's a phrase that is sure to be part of the Patriots Way and why players sign. "In Bill W Trust!", so if Belichick says it's an open competition, I'm going to trust him. For a man's word is his bond.
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