With each New England Patriots practice, it's becoming more clear that Cam Newton is far from a lock for the Week 1 starting quarterback job.
Mac Jones has been the more accurate passer at Patriots minicamp, and Newton acknowledged the competition between him and the rookie QB during his introspective press conference Tuesday. He even went as far as to say Jones was the "right pick" and "best player available" for New England in this year's NFL Draft.
Does this all mean the door is officially open for Jones to overtake Newton as the team's starting QB? Tom E. Curran and Phil Perry discussed on a brand new episode of the Patriots Talk Podcast.
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Patriots Talk Podcast: Mac Jones on the rise? How does that sit with Cam Newton? | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube
"It's pretty clear they're going to try to give Mac Jones a chance here," Perry said. "And I would say it's pretty clear to Cam Newton as well, and it should be, based on a lot of things. Not just what we're seeing in practice. Based on contracts, based on where they drafted Mac Jones. So, [Newton] is basically just telling us what we already know, but I think getting that perspective from the guy who's in the middle of it carries a lot of weight."
Curran believes the way Bill Belichick and Co. have handled Brian Hoyer's reps in practice -- giving Hoyer's reps to Jones at minicamp -- points toward how they're approaching things with their first-round draft pick.
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"I felt that that was probably an effort by the Patriots to say, 'Mac, watch how he does this. He's been here for 13 years, just shut up and watch, and then see how you do,' " Curran said. "And then I think the first two days of this week with Hoyer completely on the sidelines watching and Mac Jones taking all the reps that he is, the Patriots do want him to be up to speed as quickly as possible so that there is a competition when the end of July rolls around."
Also discussed in the new episode: How did Cam Newton deal with Mac Jones getting more reps during Tuesday’s minicamp? Newton’s comments from Tuesday regarding Mac Jones. Bill Belichick says he does not expect Stephon Gilmore to attend minicamp. Who has the leverage, Gilmore or the Patriots?
Check out the latest episode of the Patriots Talk Podcast on the NBC Sports Boston Podcast Network, or watch on YouTube below: