The 2020 NFL season was a weird one, but there is reason to believe things will return to “normal” in 2021. With vaccination numbers increasing across the country, several organizations are planning on having full capacity for the upcoming season. The New Orleans Saints are one such team, as the latest NFL rumors suggest that the team expects full attendance for the post-Drew Brees Era. In other news, New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton is reportedly working hard to improve his fundamentals.
NFL Rumors: New Orleans Saints, COVID-19, Cam Newton
The New Orleans Saints had limited seating capacity in 2020 and had a few public debacles with local government regarding allowable attendance. Fortunately, that shouldn’t be an issue in 2021, as Saints president Dennis Lauscha said that he “100 percent expect[s] full attendance” during the upcoming season.
This is obviously huge news, both from a football perspective and a business one. The New Orleans Saints boast one of the most passionate fanbases in the league, and the Superdome is annually one of the strongest home-field advantages in football. Now entering their first season without Drew Brees, the Saints will need all the help they can get to usurp Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for NFC South dominance.
Of course, more ticket sales also mean more revenue, which is good news for the owners and the salary cap. The cap is partially determined by income across the league, and more tickets sold means that the cap should rise in the coming years. 2021’s shrinking cap hurt a lot of teams, but that shouldn’t be an issue moving into 2022 and beyond.
[pickup_prop id=”7183″]
Cam Newton Working On Improved Fundamentals
The New England Patriots selected Mac Jones in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, but that doesn’t mean that Cam Newton won’t stop trying to improve his game. According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, the quarterback is currently working with a throwing coach “to rebuild some of his fundamentals.” Newton always had an unconventional throwing motion, and improved mechanics could lead to better accuracy and a higher level of play.
Of course, this isn’t the first time Newton has tried to fix his errant throwing motion. Similar stories have emerged in each of the past few seasons, but the on-field result largely stays the same. This doesn’t mean that Newton cannot be effective in 2021 – far from it – but Patriots fans shouldn’t expect Newton to completely re-invent his game over the course of the offseason.
The 2015 MVP had a rough season last year, but he didn’t exactly face the most favorable circumstances. The quarterback had to wait until July to sign with New England, missed a few weeks of practice thanks to COVID-19, and had to deal with arguably the worst supporting cast in the entire NFL.
The Patriots went wild in free agency, signing Hunter Henry, Jonnu Smith, and Nelson Agholor to bolster the pass-catchers. Additionally, the team has also been linked to Julio Jones, who is still a great player when healthy. If Newton cannot make it work with this supporting cast, then he might have to accept life as a backup for the rest of his playing career.
[pickup_prop id=”6285″]
Main photo:
Embed from Getty Images
