It all seemed to happen so quickly.
The New England Patriots came out of the blue two Sundays ago to reportedly sign free-agent quarterback Cam Newton to a one-year contract. Two days later, Newton was throwing passes to Patriots wide receiver Mohamed Sanu during a workout session in Los Angeles.
So, how did quarterback and wide receiver link up so quickly in this era of physical distancing? According to Sanu's trainer, Drew Lieberman, they got lucky.
Download the MyTeams app for the latest Patriots news and analysis
"The day Cam signed, they were FaceTiming each other just talking about how excited they were," Lieberman told CLNS Media's Evan Lazar. "And Cam was like, ‘What are you doing this week?’ Mo said he was going to L.A. for the week, and Cam said, ‘Oh shoot, I’m about to be in L.A. too! Let’s link up.' "
What followed were a series of intense workouts at UCLA in which Newton and Sanu built some notable chemistry, according to Lieberman, a 2013 Wesleyan graduate who founded "The Sideline Hustle" and has worked with Sanu during the last two offseasons.
"The biggest thing I was looking for wasn’t even football stuff," Lieberman told Lazar. "It was more like how do they vibe together, what was the chemistry like, and what’s the overall energy? That part of it was awesome."
New England Patriots
Find the latest New England Patriots news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Boston.
Listen and subscribe to Tom E. Curran's Patriots Talk Podcast:
Newton and Sanu share plenty in common: Both have ties to Atlanta -- Newton is an Atlanta native, while Sanu spends his offseasons there after playing four seasons for the Falcons -- and both are aiming to bounce back from injuries that required offseason surgery (Newton's foot and Sanu's ankle).
If both players can stay healthy in 2020, the QB and wide receiver could form a potent duo in a Patriots offense that could desperately use a jolt following Tom Brady's departure this offseason.
As for the quarterback who was supposed to take Brady's job? Sanu and Jarrett Stidham "talk almost every day," according to Lieberman, but have yet to meet up for an in-person workout.