Patriots: What to make of interest in Jamie Newman at Senior Bowl
Jamie Newman has had an up and down week at the Senior Bowl but has attracted the interest of the New England Patriots as they look to secure their future at the quarterback position.
On Thursday after the third and final day of practice, Newman told reporters he had a formal meeting with the Patriots, according to Jim McBride of The Boston Globe, and expressed his fondness for the organization.
Newman is not expected to be an early pick in the draft, and he struggled in practice on Thursday, looking anything but a prospect who could develop into a starter at the next level. He had difficulties with his decision making and was consistently late with his throws, leading to several interceptions during team drills.
How Jamie Newman fits with Patriots
While the Patriots certainly won’t be targeting him with the 15th overall pick, there is still plenty of reason to be excited about the possibility of New England selecting Newman late on day two or early on day three of the draft.
Despite issues with turnovers, Newman has proven in Mobile that he has an excellent arm, probably the best of all quarterbacks on show at the Senior Bowl, hitting on a series of exquisite deep balls that were his forte during his time at Wake Forest.
The raw tools are there for Newman to eventually become a successful quarterback in the pros. Of course, were the Patriots to draft him, they would need to have a more experienced starter ahead of him to allow Newman the time to grow into a starter without the pressure of having to deliver results right away for New England.
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But Newman could hardly ask for a better environment in which to progress than the one the Patriots have fostered during their dynasty. Bill Belichick has helped Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett blossom into starters in recent years and neither of those quarterbacks had the upside Newman possesses. If they are not put off by his uneven Senior Bowl, the Patriots could be the perfect landing spot for Newman.