From dance moves in the stretching line to audible exclamations whenever one of his offensive teammates makes a standout play, Cam Newton has brought an infectious energy to his first New England Patriots training camp.
That upbeat approach has resonated with new Patriots quarterbacks coach Jedd Fisch, who raved about Newton on Monday during an interview with WEEI’s “Greg Hill Show.”
“(I’ve been) delighted to see that what you see is real, it’s genuine,” Fisch said. “It’s who he is. The charisma he has is every day. He’s extremely consistent as a person. Whether it be the boisterous personality, whether it be the way he leads, whether it be really everything he brings, the workout routine, his work ethic, it’s the same every day.
“I don’t know if surprised is the right word, as much as really excited that is the case. Because that is what you can work with. When you know what you’re getting every day, you can really make all the necessary adjustments, tweaks and whatever needs to be done to try to help him.”
The daily grind of NFL training camp can wear on some players. Newton, though, treats practice as a form of “recess,” Fisch said.
“Obviously, Cam is going to stand out because you hear him, you see him,” the coach said on WEEI. “He certainly loves the game, but it really feels to me when Cam runs out onto the practice field, it’s truly recess for him. It’s the opportunity to go play. We all remember when we were kids and the bell rang, we got to go outside and take a break from the work and go play.
“That is kind of the feeling I get from Cam every time he comes out here. It’s a happy place, and I think that’s great.”
Newton has taken a clear lead over fellow starting QB hopefuls Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer, monopolizing reps in recent practices while Stidham battles a reported hip injury. On Sunday, Newton took 39 reps in 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills while Hoyer took 21 and Stidham took zero.
Fisch said Stidham, who hasn’t taken an equal split of reps since last Wednesday, should be back in action soon. The 2019 fourth-round draft pick participated in positional drills Sunday before observing the competitive portions of practice.
“I don’t envision it being too long,” Fisch said on WEEI. “Jarrett’s taken almost every rep in terms of his available reps. I think he’s only been unavailable maybe one full practice. So I don’t see it being a big issue in terms of the competition.”
Thumbnail photo via New England Patriots
