Trenni Kusnierek and Tom Curran react to the Cam Newton hype video the Patriots posted on social media this week. Curran argues that the video shouldn’t be seen as Bill Belichick naming Newton the starting quarterback.
If you want to know how talented Cam Newton is, just ask the players tasked with defending him.
Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore was one of those players before Newton signed a one-year contract last week to become his New England teammate. When asked what he thought of the Patriots signing Newton, Gilmore seemed relieved he wouldn't have to deal with the three-time Pro Bowl quarterback on another team.
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"It was a great signing," Gilmore told host Bakari Sellers on The Ringer's "The Bakari Sellers Podcast." "I think Cam's very hungry. I've always been a Cam fan. I think he's hard to prepare against and he has a great opportunity to compete for a starting job. I'm looking forward to seeing him on our team."
What makes Newton so difficult to prepare against? Gilmore mentioned there aren't many signal-callers who boast the 6-foot-5, 245-pound quarterback's combination of size, strength and running ability.
"I think he's his own unique player," Gilmore said. "Obviously he can run the ball, he can throw it. Anytime you can do both of those things, it's hard to get ready for a certain thing, so he always keeps you off guard.
"He's very hungry this year. I think he's healthy now, so I'm just looking forward to him helping our team out."
Newton went unsigned for months after the Carolina Panthers released him in March due to apparent concerns about shoulder and foot injuries that caused him to miss 16 games over the last two seasons. But the 31-year-old already has been working out with his new Patriots wide receivers and seems eager to prove his doubters wrong this season.
As for Gilmore: The reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year is putting in the work as he prepares to deal with Newton in practices this season.
