Any player who’s come through Foxboro over the past two decades likely will tell you that playing for the Patriots isn’t for everyone.
Eric Mangini, for one, doesn’t think it would be for Cam Newton.
While Newton, at least on paper, could provide an upgrade at quarterback for New England, Mangini believes Bill Belichick and Co.’s reported lack of interest in the veteran signal-caller isn’t an issue of talent.
“New England’s looking for a starter, not a star,” Mangini said Friday on FS1’s “First Things First.” “Cam wants to be the star. He wants to be on the marquee. That’s not how the system works in New England. You are one of many, and the team is bigger than anything else. That’s really not been Cam’s M.O., and that’s fine. Different teams want different things from players at that position.”
"New England is looking for a starter, not a star. Cam wants to be the star, he wants to be on the marquee. That's not how the system works in New England. You are one of many and the team is bigger than anything else." — Eric Mangini pic.twitter.com/QgkQnxGfH5
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) May 1, 2020
Another veteran option opened up for the Patriots on Thursday when the Cincinnati Bengals released Andy Dalton. While Dalton doesn’t feature nearly as strong of a personality as Newton, it’s tough to imagine the TCU product ending up in New England, too. The Patriots seem to like what they have in 2019 fourth-rounder Jarrett Stidham, whom many presume will be their starting QB on Week 1.
So, where then could Newton wind up? The Buffalo Bills, Pittsburgh Steelers and Jacksonville Jaguars all have been suggested as potential landing spots.
