Quarterback Competition 2.0? It's possible

I have written multiple times about how the Patriots may have redshirted Jarrett Stidham during the 2020 season and how he lost the competition due to default and that there's a possibility that He could start in 2021. That mindset is getting around as Sam Minton of Chowder and Champions recently wrote about it. However, there is an equally unpopular possibility.

First, I am going to give a summary of what Minton said. Minton says that Cam Newton can run but passing is a hole other story. Minton acknowledges that Cam Newton is not the future of the Patriots and asks, "At this point is it time to hand the keys over to Jarrett Stidham?"

Minton says Cam's arm "is shot". Which is reportedly something going around the league. He suggested that in order for the Patriots to stay relevant, they must have a youth movement at quarterback.

Minton acknowledged all the hype around the draft prospects but asked if the Patriots could "make do" with Stidham and Dolegada. Both quarterbacks are 24 and are all that the Patriots have in stock. 

He makes note of the fact that Stidham is working out and suggests handing him the reigns in 2021 and letting him drive the offense for the entire season. Reminding everyone that we "haven't really seen him play." 

His (Stidham's) coaches and teammates have, ask any of his critics. To the critics dismay, Belichick and Newton both praised him in December, and James White and Damien Harris have recently shown support for Stidham. While people connected to the team have said the Patriots still like him.

Minton goes on to say that if Stidham flops, the team would have a really good draft pick and if not, they'd have a starter and Belichick would look like a genius again.

Minton also said, "Also even if Stidham is the starter, the New England Patriots can still draft a player like Lance or Jones. They would be able to have a redshirt first year in the league. This would allow whoever is drafted to get their feet under them before starting, and if Stidham is good he will get the chance to prove it."

The idea of using Stidham as a bridge quarterback is something not being talked about but could happen. Something that could put a lot of pressure on him early to succeed and silence the doubters, sure to be booing him at home games. If Stidham was used as a bridge, he would need to play well to earn a spot elsewhere.

Speaking of bridge quarterbacks, that leads me back to Cam Newton. Everything Minton said is true about Cam. Being a running quarterback, his legs are older and he is 7 or 8 years older than Stidham.  His arm is shot, he doesn't see the entire field, he takes too long to go through his progressions, he cannot hit timing routes, and he throws to bubbles because his accuracy is shot.

With all that being said, the Patriots were working on his mechanics and the Patriots spent a lot of time developing Cam Newton like the rookie he was, I meant ten year veteran. Plus Newton was just learning the system and chemistry with his teammates. It takes quarterbacks up to 3 seasons to learn an offense, everyone else up to two. Not everyone is Chris Simms and can learn a playbook in a day.

The Patriots pass catchers were each getting open a handful of times a game but didn't have anyone throwing to them. The opposite argument can be made for Cam, saying he had nobody to throw to, as both Cam and his pass catchers were in the 24-32 range of well bellow average for NFL players. Both the quarterbacks and pass catchers needed someone better to be better.

Newton caught covid and although he started showing signs of decline in the first half of the Raiders game, where he looked as bad as Jarrett Stidham versus the Chiefs, who knows how much the virus affected Newton's play. Maybe he would've fixed his consistency problem that he's always had in his professional career, who knows.

Look, Jarrett Stidham didn't lose the competition to Cam Newton due to bad play. He lost it due to injury and lack of time. Hoyer didn't beat out Stidham to earn the second string spot, Stidham was demoted due to circumstances surrounding his injury.

Nobody knows if Stidham was truly that bad, if Belichick was keeping Stidham under wraps by not playing him, or if he was too proud to admit he made a mistake with Cam. We know both players have and are still receiving praise from their teammates. James White's opinion is just as respected as D-Mac's.

Another competition between the two is very possible, if all the praise for both was true, and providing Newton doesn't want to get paid after the "business trip and Job Interview" he just completed. 

If Newton accepts a Fitzpatrick level salary or less, a full offseason quarterback competition could be the best thing for the Patriots, and if they don't win a lot of games and handle the rest of this offseason right, they could be reloaded by the start of the 2022 season and the rebuild could be complete. Unpopular scenarios, I know but they're still a possibilities.