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How far are the New England Patriots willing to go to research and ensure a player is right for their team? According to one longtime NFL analyst and son of Super Bowl champion Phil Simms, Chris Simms believes the team is willing to go the extra mile, so to speak to vet a potential addition to the roster.
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Chris Simms Believes the Patriots Had Cam Newton Followed
Simms shares some pretty shocking beliefs on what he believes the Patriots did to ensure Cam Newton was fit physically, and also clean in his personal life. Simms says he’d be willing to bet the Patriots had Newton followed for three or four weeks in an effort to do their due diligence. The segment begins at the 16:20 mark of the video below.
Have the Patriots Ever Done This Before With Another Player?
As you might have heard in the video, this wouldn’t necessarily be the first time the Patriots have taken these sorts of measures to vet a player. According to Simms, he’d always heard the team did the same thing before they traded for Randy Moss back in 2007.
Things turned out pretty well for the Patriots that year. They went 16-0 in the regular season before losing a heartbreaker to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl. If Simms is correct, it seems a little strange. Moss had some issues with coaches with the Minnesota Vikings and the Oakland Raiders. So perhaps having some level of concern for the way he’d take to a team’s culture makes sense.
Newton has never been at odds with a coaching staff and has had zero off-the-field issues as a professional. Because of that, having him followed seems as if he could be a bit overkill. Had Newton known about it, that might have turned him off from the organization. However, he might also expect it because it could be a part of what the former MVP would see as the continued misunderstanding of his character.
No matter the case, if Simms is accurate, the Patriots obviously liked what they saw, or was reported back to them.
Is This Ethical?
There are no laws against an organization investing in something of this nature to evaluate a player, but it is a little creepy. It’s especially noticeable coming from an organization that has gotten into some issues in the past about their use of surveillance technology.
If it all works out for both sides, this will become just another page in the long and storied Patriots history. However, it is something potential free agents might remember if they consider coming to play for Bill Belichick and the Patriots.
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NFL Analyst Shares Shocking Belief on Patriots’ Vetting of Cam Newton