One of the biggest storylines with the Patriots this summer leading into Week 1 of the regular season will be the quarterback position and who will win the starting job -- Cam Newton or Mac Jones.
The recently retired Julian Edelman gave some insight into what to expect, especially from Jones' perspective.
“[Newton has] probably been working hard,” Edelman said appearing on PodcastOne’s Michael Irvin Podcast. “That’s his M.O. Cam works hard. Now we’ve got to see if he can work smart in the right areas, and if he does that, he’s going to give himself an opportunity to do well. But he's also going to have to beat out the young gun, because the young guy is there — little Mac Attack. This kid, that’s a first-round draft pick. That’s, like, a real first-round draft pick.”
While Jones had a terrific year last season at Alabama, things will be a lot different in the NFL.
“He needs to have that eye,” Edelman said. “He needs to have that confidence. … What are you going to do? This kid, it’s not easy playing in New England, especially after Tom Brady, if he gets the opportunity and beats out the other guy. This ain’t going to be easy. This town is tough. This town is mean. This town is blue-collar. Boston people, the New England people, they want winning. They’re used to that in all sports. The kid’s going to have a lot of pressure.”
The former wide receiver also noted selecting a quarterback so high in the draft is not something Bill Belichick usually does, so there's pressure with that as well.
“When you play on Bill teams, (first-round picks) are usually defensive ends,” Edelman said. “Those are usually corners. We usually have the 28th pick or something; we’re getting a defensive player. That’s how Bill builds a team. But if you come in and you’re a quarterback drafted by Bill Belichick, I mean, let’s go, buddy.”
The Patriots will continue with their voluntary offseason workout program next week with the start of OTAs.