Bill Belichick Praised Cam Newton as 'Public Enemy No. 1' for Patriots in 2017

The New England Patriots upgraded their quarterback situation by signing Cam Newton to a one-year deal Monday, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, but head coach Bill Belichick has long admired the veteran.

In 2017, Belichick explained why Newton was as dangerous as any quarterback in the NFL, via Mike Reiss of ESPN:

"When you're talking about mobile quarterbacks, guys that are tough to handle, tackle, can throw, run, make good decisions—I mean, I would put Newton at the top the list.

"Not saying that there aren't a lot of other good players that do that, but I would say, of all the guys we play or have played recently in the last couple of years, he's the hardest guy to deal with. He makes good decisions, he can run, he's strong, he's hard to tackle. He can do a lot of different things, beat you in a lot of different ways. We saw that in the game down there in '13, so I would put him at the top of the list. Not saying the other guys aren't a problem, because they are, but he's public enemy No. 1."

While the Patriots find a way to stifle almost every quarterback they face, Newton has had significant success against them.

The former Carolina Panthers star faced New England twice in his career, leading his team to wins in both 2013 and 2017. The 2015 NFL MVP combined for six passing touchdowns and just one interception in the two matchups, adding one rushing touchdown and 106 yards on the ground.

In the first game, Newton threw the go-ahead touchdown pass with less than a minute left. In the other, he led the game-winning drive that ended with a field goal as time expired. In the 2017 season, the 6'5", 245-pound Auburn product rushed for a career-high 754 yards with six touchdowns. 

The 31-year-old is coming off an injury-filled season when he played just two games because of a Lisfranc injury to his foot. The 2010 Heisman Trophy winner has also dealt with shoulder problems, which cut short his 2018 season.

Still, it's clear Belichick and the Patriots are aware of Newton's upside when he is full strength. After losing Tom Brady to free agency, the team once again has a quality option under center going into 2020.