This offseason Cam Newton said he believes that he is still one of the best 32 quarterbacks in the NFL, as such worthy of a starting job.
Now, one of Newton’s most vocal media supporters has taken things a step further.
With Newton seemingly entrenched in a summer battle with No. 15 overall pick Mac Jones to hold onto his starting job in New England, NBC Sports analyst Chris Simms has come out with his always talk radio-worthy (which might explain some of his slottings) annual quarterback rankings.
Interestingly the former NFL passer Simms, who spent a short time working for the Patriots after his playing career, ranks Newton as the No. 20 quarterback in the league despite his losing record and mere eight touchdown passes in 15 games played last season.
“Cam Newton is still one of the 20 best quarterbacks in football for my money," Simms declared via NBCSportsBoston.com. "It’s not about the quarterback stats all the time, it’s the effect you have on the football game. He’s a little bit of a force of nature that way and I think that sometimes gets swept under the rug. ...
“Cam Newton still has got one of the greatest presence of all quarterbacks on the NFL field. He’s a great leader, he’s a great worker. ... You have to get over the passing numbers at times, and I understand work needs to be done. He’s one of the best running quarterbacks in football still, and his skillset running the football is one of the things that made that not-very-talented offense somewhat of a threat in certain weeks and it certainly made them one of the best running offenses in football.”
By comparison, Simms ranks the rookie Jones at No. 30 overall on his list. So while many have significant questions about the Patriots quarterback position and competition, Simms sees New England as having two starting-caliber options for head coach Bill Belichick and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to turn to this fall in Foxborough.
“Yeah, he's a rookie, but he's an experienced rookie," Simms said of Jones. "And I know there's only 17 games in college, but it's all those years in Alabama and playing the tough SEC schedule and everything about that. And all the things you hear right now, listen, it's been nothing but positives. You don't even hear things about first-round picks in New England. They're quietly gushing about him. That just tells you it all. He is the most NFL-ready quarterback to come out in the draft this year, hands down."
