Cam Newton is now a member of the Patriots.
The 2015 NFL MVP will be competing with second-year player Jarrett Stidham for the starting job, but if Newton is healthy and plays like he is capable of playing, he will be the quarterback under center for New England. No matter who is at quarterback the offense will be a lot different than it was for the last 20 years with Tom Brady, but Newton brings a bit of a different skill set than Stidham.
Because of this, some members of the team could benefit from having Newton as the quarterback opposed to Stidham.
Here are five of those players.
N'Keal Harry- Newton has been known for taking chances with his throws and letting his wide receivers make plays on contested throws. This is what Harry was known for at Arizona State. The second-year player also primarily lines up on the outside and Newton prefers to target those receivers more so than ones who line up out of the slot. Having Newton at quarterback could potentially set Harry up for a breakout season.
Damiere Byrd- Byrd is the only player on the roster who has any prior experience with Newton, so that certainly helps his cause and increases his chances of making the team. The two connected for two touchdowns during the 2017 season with the Panthers. In addition, Byrd is one of the fastest receivers the Patriots have so he could use that speed and give Newton an option to throw to deep down the field. Bryd certainly won't make a huge impact, but given he has worked with Newton before, he now probably has a better chance of making the 53-man roster.
Mohamed Sanu- The pair have already begun working out together and who knows, both have connections to the NFC South, so perhaps they can find some chemistry that translates to making some plays on the field. Sanu's eight games with the Patriots last season were rather disappointing, so both he and Newton have something to prove in 2020.
James White- While White is not Christian McCaffrey, the running back broke records in terms of receptions with Carolina, so clearly Newton is not afraid to throw to a running back out of the backfield. White is one of the best third-down backs in the league and figures to benefit from Newton given his past experience with McCaffrey.
Sony Michel- This one mean seem strange, but it's worth pointing out the Panthers ranked among the NFL's top five teams in rushing yards in four of Newton's first eight seasons and never finished worse than 11th. Certainly, Newton factors into this with the rushing yards he gets on his own, but his threat to run could benefit the Patriots running backs, including Michel and Damien Harris for that matter.
