FOXBOROUGH, Mass .– Cam Newton and Julian Edelman are in the early stages of developing a connection with the New England Patriots, moving to side ground to work together in recent training camp practices.
Edelman took a humorous step by showing how they got together on Tuesday, tweeting a photo of them as Superman (Newton) and Batman (Edelman).
“The night is darkest just before dawn. And I promise you, dawn is coming …” pic.twitter.com/LbsSkqoGok
– Julian Edelman (@ Edelman11) August 25, 2020
“We’re still trying to get to know each other. Just like I am with all of my new teammates, but especially with a guy who distributes football, just kind of getting to know each other as people on the pitch, off the pitch. “Trying to build rapport,” Edelman said this week, adding that he had done the same with quarterbacks Brian Hoyer and Jarrett Stidham, so now he needs to “catch up with Cam.”
Newton’s approach energized Edelman, who previously spoke about his “charming personality” while noting how his work ethic and self-confidence generate “a vibe that can feel and put you in a state of mind.” It’s an approach that also puts Newton in the driver’s seat to become the Patriots’ top quarterback, replacing Tom Brady – one of Edelman’s closest friends.
After evenly spreading the reps with veteran Hoyer and Stidham over the first four practices of training camp, Newton has been propelled into a starring role in each of the last four practices.
The turning point came when Stidham visited a Boston hospital for tests on his leg last Thursday. Although the tests came back negative, Stidham’s workload has since been significantly reduced.
Newton seized the opportunity, although coach Bill Belichick was not ready to give him the starter title.
“Being with him every day is an extremely hard-working player – first dude in, last dude out. He studied really hard and spent a lot of extra time trying to learn our offense, communication and calls. “I was very impressed with this,” Belichick said of Newton on “The Rich Eisen Show”.
“He did a good job picking it up. He’s a very talented athlete and we just work on it day in and day out. We have a long way to go but we are taking steps and we have a very competitive competition at one position. very competitive as a quarterback. It’s going to be interesting to see how everyone is doing. “
Newton, who is due to speak to reporters on Wednesday for just the second time since signing with the Patriots on July 8, has a hard-to-miss presence in practice. His voice resonates on the pitch and he often dances to warm-up music.
Arriving in the clique for the first time, he has a special handshake with each player.
“He comes in and energizes everyone,” said starting left tackle Isaiah Wynn. “It’s dope. Just as I can’t wait to play with the rest of the guys whenever it’s game time, I also can’t wait to show a little handshake, some juice.”
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