See currently Newton was the only veteran on the roster with real starting game time experience. Newton signed a contract worth about $5 million plus incentives. Hoyer's contract is presumably only around $1 million dollars. Hoyer now ads extra both starting and game experience to the roster.
Now I bet you're wondering what I am getting at, and no I am not suggesting Hoyer will be the starter in 2021. We all saw what happened against Kansas City and know Hoyer should be a quarterback coaching assistant.
What I am suggesting is that the quarterback competition maybe closer between either Jones and Newton or Stidham and Newton or both. If One or both young quarterbacks is playing as well or better than Newton, than it makes sense to bring on a cheaper veteran and to cut Newton if the youngsters play well enough
But we haven't heard anything that says either of the young quarterbacks especially Stidham are doing anything special this off season, you say.
NFL Network’s Mike Giardi said on the air the following the week of April 22nd. “There is a pretty good feeling about what Jarrett Stidham has done over the course of this offseason. They like sort of his demeanor right now, they feel like there’s a bit more urgency to his operation, if you will. He’s the one who organized the workouts on the West Coast earlier this offseason. Maybe Jarrett Stidham is saying, ‘I’m not done just yet; this isn’t Cam’s job just yet.’”
Add to that Robert Kraft's comments from around the same time. "“I think he’s a great young man and I know that he’s eager to compete and look for an opportunity to play. One thing I like is that he’s shown great initiative in putting these workouts together on his own out in California, (I'm a) really big fan of his. I’m not sure he’s really been tested. ... We all know, long-term, we have to find a way — either Jarrett Stidham or someone new we bring in.”
Obviously they drafted Mac Jones but there was also thought that to avoid a Gino Carmazzi situation, that the Patriots only played Stidham sparingly during the 2020 season, and thought at the end, playing Buffalo in garbage time would give Stidham more experience than playing the Jets.
As for Jones, reports out of rookie minicamp is that he's impressing the coaching staff with his ability, leadership, and knowledge. Keep in mind that Stidham is eligible to be and should also be at rookie minicamp. That means the two young quarterbacks should be gaining ground on Cam. If one or both show that they can potentially overthrow Newton, Newton could be on the chopping block right next to Stidham, waiting to see who's head is gone.
As for Newton, Kraft said to TMZ around May 15th, "“We’re excited to have (Mac Jones), but I’m excited to have Cam Newton, too." Kraft also hinted that he's glad he does have to get his hands dirty dertiming who's gonna be the quarterback and who's gonna be on the depth chart.
This could be one of the most controversial and aggressive position battles fans of the Patriots have seen in a long while. However, don't be surprised if Jones, Hoyer, and Stidham are the survivors at the end of the preseason.
Or you could doubt me as much as every one doubted me when I was saying throughout the first four weeks of the 2020 season, that Newton wasn't the long term future of the franchise before the bandwagon turned on him after week five. I'm not right all the time but I've been right pretty much over Cam Newton.
If Stidham didn't get hurt last season, I have no doubt he would've been given the starting job. Seeing as several reporters said nobody was pulling ahead in the competition late in August. And I have no doubt that Newton is on the bubble right next to Stidham at this moment in time.
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