Dominate the Super Bowl-Chapter 1568 - 1567: Recruiting Players and Horses

Chapter 1568: Chapter 1567: Recruiting Players and Horses

The New England Patriots need a quarterback, that’s not news; the real news is, who is this successor? Who will become the new leader for the New England Patriots?

First, it’s an honor. Back then, when Belichick selected Brady at the 199th pick of the sixth round, it was considered foolish by the league, but Belichick spent twenty years creating a GOAT, and Belichick himself is still pursuing the record of most wins in the league.

The emaciated camel is still bigger than a horse; the New England Patriots are still formidable, and no matter who succeeds, they will be under the spotlight next season.

Secondly, it’s pressure. To take over Brady’s position?

In Brady’s hands, the team still secured eleven wins last season and advanced to the playoffs; now, how the successor performs under Belichick’s guidance will be scrutinized in every detail, compared to Brady in every aspect, a situation that ordinary people cannot endure.

Comparable to a hot potato.

The spotlight is already on; now it awaits who dares to step into focus under the attention of thousands.

Perhaps, Jamie Winston?

As the starting quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Winston’s situation became awkward immediately after Brady joined, as if he were sitting on pins and needles.

In the face of pressing questions from reporters, Winston stated he’s willing to stay with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he’s willing to compete with Brady for the starting quarterback position, and he believes he’s capable of being the starter.

However... league professionals don’t see it that way. When they look at Winston, it’s like evaluating a cast-off, weighing his remaining value, seeing what he can bring in exchange for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, everything is up for sale.

People even think Belichick wouldn’t have interest in Winston.

If not Winston, then who should it be?

Andy Dalton, the starting quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals? Teddy Bridgewater, the backup quarterback for the New Orleans Saints? Philip Rivers, the starting quarterback for the Los Angeles Chargers? Mitchell Trubisky, the starting quarterback for the Chicago Bears? Alex Smith, the former starting quarterback for the Washington Redskins? Matt Ryan, the starting quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons?

All kinds of speculation are flying around.

Then, another familiar yet strange name emerges: Cam Newton.

The starting quarterback for the Carolina Panthers, the first overall pick in 2011, the 2015 regular season MVP, led the team to the 50th Super Bowl, hailed as "Superman," a representative of the new generation of running quarterbacks, reached the peak of his prestige and glory in the 2015 season, with a bright future ahead.

Unfortunately, after that, it went downhill rapidly, with poor passing fundamentals being magnified under the siege of consecutive injuries, gradually fading into the crowd.

Last season, Newton again didn’t complete the season due to injuries, and his performance continued to be depressed.

This offseason, the Carolina Panthers allowed Newton to seek a trade, but after going around the league without success, unable to find a new home, the team announced Newton’s release. The former regular season MVP surprisingly found himself without a team to play for just four seasons later.

Though everyone knows the professional league is cold and ruthless, Newton’s downfall still evoked a sigh from many.

At the same time, another superstar from the Carolina Panthers, "Skywalker" Luke Kuechly, this lineman, who won the 2012 Defensive Rookie of the Year, the 2013 Defensive Player of the Year, and who was also the biggest contributor when the team entered the 50th Super Bowl, and was selected to the Pro Bowl for seven consecutive years—

Announced his retirement this offseason.

The Carolina Panthers, who were once all the rage in the 2015 season, officially announced their entry into a period of demolition and rebuilding, the speed of their fall from peak to trough is beyond imagination.

Just as everyone was sighing and lamenting, the names of the New England Patriots and Newton appeared together, announcing their agreement.

League: ...

Shock. Astonishment. Impact. Dumbfounded.

The shock was comparable to Brady leaving for Tampa Bay; who would have thought that Belichick would choose a running quarterback as a successor, moreover, Newton, who has been gradually dimming due to injuries over the years? Almost everyone believed Newton’s career was over, with no team willing to trust him again, yet the New England Patriots became Newton’s place for redemption?

This...

In an instant, a shiver ran through everyone, reminding them not to forget, they were discussing Belichick—

Relying on the defensive group to lay the foundation, relying on the special duty group to grasp the details, playing tricks through the offensive group, this has always been Belichick’s philosophy of victory.

Without Brady, but perhaps Newton could still unleash infinite potential in Belichick’s hands, could Newton rejuvenate?

Could it be... the New England Patriots dynasty has not completely disintegrated? In the 2020 season, could the New England Patriots still not be entirely eliminated from the contenders for the championship?

Every small detail foretells; the 2020 season is destined to be filled with uncertainties.

Whether it’s big moves like Brady and Watt, or unexpected ones like Newton joining forces with Belichick, any action, any shift could produce a chain reaction. There’s nothing that’s 100% certain; the storm of the free market unveils in such a context.

The New Orleans Saints traded backup quarterback Bridgewater to the Carolina Panthers.

The Cincinnati Bengals traded Andy Dalton to the Dallas Cowboys; the former Ginger Head has still ended up as a backup.

The Los Angeles Chargers traded veteran quarterback Philip Rivers to the Indianapolis Colts, once known as the Four Heavenly Kings of the middle generation, now scattered to the ends of the earth—

It is worth mentioning that Eli Manning, after the humiliation at the end of the 2018 season and lingering on in 2019, finally announced his retirement in the offseason. Despite how ugly and dirty the process was, Little Manning still ended his career with the New York Giants, marking an incomplete ending.

Additionally, Joe Flacco left the Baltimore Ravens last season and is struggling to regain a starting position; Ben Roethlisberger has become embroiled in a swirl of controversy due to Bell and Brown’s departures, and although he remains with the Pittsburgh Steelers, it seems to be just the last gasp of struggle.

Not just the old veterans like Brady and Brees, but their group of once second-to-none excellent quarterbacks are also withdrawing from the historical stage.

Precisely for this reason, Brady’s gamble to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers underlines a certain tragic and heroic touch, as if resisting the tides of time single-handedly, much like "The Old Man and the Sea."

And it’s not just about quarterbacks.

From another perspective, a quarterback is just a player, just a position. This offseason, the arms race is focused on the quarterback position, but the real battlefield is on other positions, proving with actions that football is a team sport, and relying on just one person cannot win games.

The competition beyond the quarterback position is where the real bloody battle lies.