Cam Newton: Replacing Tom Brady is 'the elephant in the room'

Cam Newton is aware that he has some big shoes to fill as the Patriots next starting quarterback. After all, the last guy to do it won six Super Bowls and is widely considered the best quarterback to ever play. But Newton isn't afraid of addressing "the elephant in the room," and is confident he'll do just fine as the guy who came after Brady.

"You know who [you're] coming after? I'm like, yeah, great. What he was, what he is, is great, needs no even talking about it," Newton said. "But one thing about it though: Coach [Josh] McDaniels, you're able to call some stuff that you ain't ever been able to call now."

While Newton knows that he faces a challenge in trying to replace Brady, he points out his own motivation to get his career back on track. After all, the former MVP was unceremoniously dumped by the team he once helped lead to the Super Bowl and was subsequently overlooked by several teams in free agency.

"You're getting a dog. You're getting one of these ticked-off dogs, too. And I'm looking at the schedule and I'm like 'Who we're playing? That team passed on me! OK, that team passed on me. They could've came and got me.'"

And since he is on a one-year "prove it" deal, Newton has extra motivation to perform at the top of his game. It's a prospect that surely excites Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, who loves getting the most out of guys with chips on their shoulders.