Surrounding Cast

For the first time in his career, Cam Newton’s success won’t be completely dependent on his own performance. Year in an year out, Bill Belichick has been able to produce a defense that, at the very least, doesn’t allow very many points. New England lost a few players from last season’s top ranked defense, but the unit should remain in the top ten.

This simplifies Newton’s job immensely. Rather than holding the weight of the whole team on his back, he’ll be another puzzle piece for a franchise that can’t stop winning. Tack that on top of the fact that the Patriots have a long list of players who have resurrected their career in Foxborough, and Newton’s job should be easy.

Offensively, he’ll be joined by talented receivers in Julian Edelman, Mohamed Sanu, and N’Keal Harry. The passing attack will be complemented by a rushing unit that includes James White, Lamar Miller, Sony Michel, and Rex Burkhead. New England’s front office drafted two tight ends to fill a hole that was left by Rob Gronkowski a couple of years ago, leaving talent completely out of the question for this squad.

Again, Bill Belichick is an expert at reviving careers, and that’s just what Newton needs. He couldn’t have asked for a better fit than the Patriots and he should be in like for another Pro Bowl season.