Did Newton Hurt His Chances Of Getting Re-signed?

Cam Newton was recently interviewed on "I AM ATHLETE" podcast. There were a couple of things that stood out to me. Some positive for the Patriots and some not so positive for Newton. It answers some questions that started after the first half of the game versus the Raiders.

The first thing is Newton said he was used to "Improv" but with the Patriots they had to work with him. Basically eluding to the Patriots timing offense. But it gets worse.

Newton said, “Throughout those times, there was times where it was just like, ‘Hold on, set 180. Wait am I supposed to, set 1-8-what? Hold on.’ I was thinking too much. Going back to that analogy, the offense kept going and I was stopped and stagnant for a week, two weeks. By the time I came back, it was new terminology. I was like, ‘Hold on. Hold on. Hold on. Let’s go back to No. 1.’ I wasn’t trying to learn the system for what it was. I was learning a 20-year system in two months.”

Newton admitted he forgot the play at the line of scrimmage. How can any offense be productive if you cannot remember the play. Chris Simms once said there's a way to learn a playbook and most players get it wrong because they start at the beginning. He had said it was why it took him hours to learn the titans offense while it took others years to own.  Newton after signing in late June is still learning the playbook. 

When Brandon Marshall tried to attack the Patriots receiver's for not being any good, Newton stepped up and defended them. Newton basically brought up their tier talent level and hinted that they were not healthy and playing above their ability. Newton stopped short, leaving out the guy throwing them the ball didn't know what play they were running in his defense of his pass catchers.

Marshall also tried to attack McDaniels playcalling and again was shut down by Newton. Marshall clearly is resentful of his work relationship he had with McDaniels. Newton made clear McDaniels is not a Belichick clone.

Newton also referred to the Patriots way as a "confrontational" environment, where people worked up to 16 hour days. He admitted that not everything that's part of the Patriots way, he was used to.

Overall, while Newton defended his teammates and the Patriots way, his comments about the playbook during the interview and his forgetting of it is very much detrimental to him as a player. The Patriots pride themselves on football knowledge. Newton should know 60% of the playbook by now at the minimum. He couldn't remember plays from individual weeks' game plans. His actual knowledge is now in question. While he might get another shot with the Patriots, his chances may have just dropped.