Usually, in sports, you don't want to be the person attempting to replace the all-time great. Better to be the person replacing the person who tried to replace the all-time great.
Cam Newton knows he doesn't have that luxury.
The new New England Patriots quarterback will follow Tom Brady -- a.k.a. The G.O.A.T. with six rings -- as the starting QB of Bill Belichick's squad.
During an hour-long YouTube roundtable with Odell Beckham Jr., Todd Gurley and former receiver Victor Cruz, Newton called replacing TB12 the "elephant in the room."
"You know who you're coming after? I'm like, 'yeah, great.' What he was, what he is, is great, needs no even talking about it," Newton said. "But one thing about it though: Coach (Josh) McDaniels, you're able to call some stuff that you ain't ever been able to call now. You're getting a dog. You're getting one of these ticked off dogs, too...
"And I'm looking at the schedule, and I'm like 'Who we're playing? That team passed on me. OK, that team passed on me. They could've came and got me.'"
As Pats cornerback Stephon Gilmore noted, Newton brings a dual-threat ability to New England that will make life immensely difficult for defenses.
The former NFL MVP has repeatedly noted he intends to use the Brobdingnagian chip on his shoulder as fuel in 2020. The prospect of replacing Brady only adds petroleum to the fire.
"I had to count the days I was unemployed," Newton said. "It was 86 nights. 86 nights. That's three months. You know what I'm saying? I'm going through it, early on, people are going and getting signed, and I'm looking at 'em, and I'm like, you can't say I'm old because people older than me are getting signed. … Then I'm like you can't say it's about injury because people who are injured, more injured are getting signed. … Then you can't say the talent.
"I'll be the first one to tell you, these last two years I haven't been putting the best film on tape. That's just honest. But at the same time, there's other people that's been putting s----- film out there and getting picked up, and I'm like, whoa, like I'm feeling disrespected. Every team at one point had to say, 'Okay fellas, Cam Newton. What do we think?' 'Uhh, pass.' You feel me? That's the disrespect that I feel.
"I feel vindicated to some degree, but I'm searching for… I'm like aiming at, going at necks all year."
