Cam Newton has yet to take part in his first practice in New England, but Rodney Harrison believes the veteran quarterback already has had a positive effect on the Patriots.
New England’s quarterback situation was looking fairly bleak prior to Newton’s arrival. Sure, Jarrett Stidham has plenty of upside, but it’s tough to have a great deal of confidence in a completely unproven commodity. Newton, meanwhile, comes to Foxboro with an impressive NFL résumé and a style of play that could recharge the Patriots’ offense.
As such, Harrison believes the Newton signing was very well received in New England’s locker room.
“As a player, think about it,” Harrison said Thursday on NBC Sports’ “Pro Football Talk.” “If I’m Devin McCourty and I just lose Tom Brady and all of a sudden in the offseason I’m like, ‘What the heck is this Jarrett Stidham gonna do? As a defense, do we really have to be the No. 1 defense in the league to win now?’ Then all of a sudden Cam Newton signs, you’re like, ‘Holy crap. We have a legitimate chance. Like, we can win this division.’ You automatically forget about Tom Brady and you feel like you can give yourself a really legitimate chance of winning that division and getting back into the playoffs and having success.”
Newton’s track record is matched with some uncertainty, however, as it remains to be seen how the three-time Pro Bowl selection will perform after coming off a pair of serious injuries. But according to NFL insider Jay Glazer, Newton is healthy and ready to go as the start of his new chapter in the league nears.
