Is this Cam Newton’s team? Time will tell. First he has to beat out Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer.

For the first time in 20 years, Tom Brady will not be taking a snap from under center for the Patriots.

It is the dawn of a new era for the Patriots at the quarterback position. We’ll sort of. For the first time in almost 30 years, the Patriots will have a quarterback competition.

The competition between Cam Newton, Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer has been bandied about for weeks now but with camp upon us, it is time for the three quarterbacks to actually compete for the starting job.

Here is my breakdown of each quarterback and their strengths and weaknesses.

Cam Newton, 6-5 237, Auburn 9th Season: The Patriots surprisingly signed Newton last month. Schematically, it is hard to imagine Newton fitting into the Patriots system but offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels will tweak the system in order to cater to Newton’s skill set.

I don’t foresee the Patriots running Newton on as many direct quarterback runs like Carolina did but I could see them using him in the running game on short yardage and goal line situations.

Newton still has an elite level arm and he is accurate off play action throwing the ball down the field. If the Patriots can establish their ground game early, that should help Newton get into a rhythm more.

In order for Newton to be the guy, has to take better care of himself and the ball. He has a tendency to force the ball into tight spots. Decision making has been an issue for him in the past.

If healthy, Newton is the best quarterback on the roster. If he learns the offense and plays to the level he is capable of, he will be the starter.

Jarrett Stidham, 6-2 218, Auburn, 2nd year: Stidham was the presumptive starter for most of the off-season until the Patriots signed Cam Newton. Stidham’s accuracy and decision will give him a shot at the starting job if he performs well in camp.

Stidham has plus arm strength and he throws the ball well on the run. The Patriots would move the pocket for him a lot more than they did Tom Brady.

Stidham knows the system well enough that he will compete or the starting job and be in the mix all of fall camp. Stidham will have a leg up on Cam Newton in that regard. It will be interesting if Stidham will do enough physically to push Newton for the job. Stidham’s pocket presence and his ability to handle pressure must improve in order for him to be the guy.

Brian Hoyer, 6-2 215, Michigan State, 11th year: Patriots fans may not want to hear this but Brian Hoyer has a shot at the starting job. He is the most experienced quarterback on the roster and he has the most experience of any of the quarterbacks in the Patriots system.

Hoyer is also the most limited of the three quarterbacks physically but as former Patriot Rob Ninkovich pointed out in the spring, the Patriots could turn to Hoyer early on simply because he knows the system. He would have a leg up over Newton and Stidham due to the lack of OTA’s or mini camps. Add in no pre-season games and Hoyer has a decided edge in system experience.

Under normal circumstances, Hoyer would be entrenched as a back up. With Bill Belichick, you never know. Hoyer has a legitimate shot at the starting job.

Regardless of how this quarterback competition plays, the Patriots will not look the same. The supporting cast might be the same but the number and the player under center will be different. That will make a world of difference this season.