It's clear though the first few months of working with Cam Newton, Bill Belichick has been very positive.
In fact, it's been noticeable how positive he's been with the quotes he's given on his new quarterback.
Appearing on Ordway, Merloni & Fauria Wednesday, former Patriots linebacker and current ESPN NFL analyst Tedy Bruschi had a unique take as to why.
"I've listened to Cam, I have followed Cam forever. I have always paid attention to him and what he was doing in Carolina, how he conducted himself through the good and the bad," he said. "I have seen a lot of Cam, so heard a lot of Cam and I think he has done everything right until this point and I think Bill has handled him properly until this point because there is a way that you have to handle him.
"I hope Bill realizes that where I think the change has to come from Bill — not so much from Cam. I don't see Cam changing too much. He is who he is and I hope Bill realizes that. I see the whole signing, the positive comments from the coach, the naming of the captain, everything going well and I think that is what Cam needs. I think for him to be what he wants to be, he's always best when he's upbeat and he's positive and he's trying to do that, and Bill's also trying to feed that.
"Naming of him captain I think — it was predictable to me because not so much being surprised that he was named, but can you imagine what it would have been like if he wasn't and what it does to a psyche? This is a psyche that you really have to know how to deal with and I hope Bill realizes that."
So, is Belichick propping Newton up now because there's going to be a point where he's going to have to coach him hard?
"Break them down and build them back up, you can't do that here. You can't do that. Not with Cam," Bruschi said. "In my opinion, you have to build him up as much as you possibly can to build that trust. If he doesn't have the trust in Belichick, if he doesn't feel like you are out for his best interest, then all of a sudden you could be dealing with a different type of psyche.
"When Cam is on and he feels supported and he's confident you have his back, he is going to go out there and give everything he's got. But, if he feels like something is going on that maybe they are not fully behind me — there's been a lot of times where we've talked about Cam on a national stage in terms of the front-running aspects off it, body language, things like that. That is what I hope doesn't appear here.
"If Belichick handles him the right way, the change has to come from Bill, and so far he is doing the right thing because the hammer is coming. Cam is not going to play perfectly — not in the Miami game, not in the first month of the season. The hammer is coming when he has to coach Cam hard and if Cam has all of that built up positivity from Bill thinking, 'He's coaching me hard. I can take this right now.' And now that is what Bill is building up I believe."
Newton and the Patriots will open the season this Sunday against Miami.
