Cam Newton didn't enjoy much success in his first season with the Patriots, but it apparently was not due to a lack of preparation or hard work.
During an appearance Thursday on the "JRSportBrief" show, Jason McCourty offered Newton praise for his leadership and work ethic over the course of New England's challenging 2020 campaign.
"Cam did a great job, I feel like, of building that confidence within guys," McCourty said, as transcribed by WEEI. "Letting them know, the trash talk he brought to practice every single day, and we'd be going at it from an offensive and defensive standpoint. But from a defender, you appreciate it because he's building up in these guys what they possibly can become.
"And I think something that kind of goes unsaid about him -- because even him coming here, I didn't know much about Cam at all -- this is a guy who was in the building every single day at 5:30 in the morning. We would be leaving the building 6:30-7, and Cam was still sitting at his locker, getting ready to go in and meet with the offensive coordinator or do something. ... He was one of the last guys to leave the building."
Newton has kept his nose to the grindstone this spring. The 2015 NFL MVP, who re-signed with New England last month, recently has held throwing sessions with Patriots pass-catchers, both in the Boston area and out on the West Coast. With extended offseason work, a more "normal" preseason and training camp and a revamped receiving corps, Newton will be better set up to succeed in 2021 than he was last season.
As for McCourty, he currently is a free agent but is "excited to get somewhere and play football."
