Just as suddenly as news of a legendary departure hit the Patriots back in March, the prospect of a rare rebuilding season took an abrupt turn in late June. Bill Belichick, untethered from Tom Brady for the first time in two decades, had acquired the services of another MVP quarterback.
But does this mark the dawn of the Cam Newton era in New England? Or have the Patriots simply provided a low-cost audition for a player whose value plummeted amid this unprecedented offseason, a mutually beneficial union for a franchise in transition and a star on the mend?