The Patriots have agreed to sign Cam Newton, according to Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com (on Twitter). It’s a one-year deal that could be worth as much as $7.5MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) adds. The base portion is believed to be much lower, however, and Newton likely didn’t receive much in the way of guarantees.
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Newton, 31, will join Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer on the Patriots’ depth chart. Naturally, he’ll be the odds-on favorite to come away with the starting job.
The Patriots checked in with Newton during the early stages of free agency, right around the time Tom Brady took off for Tampa Bay. However, at the time, Newton was seeking a deal that was more in line with his previous earnings. Thanks to injuries, the former MVP had to stay patient and slash his asking place before finding his home in New England.
The 2015 NFL MVP and three-time Pro Bowler has struggled in recent years. Since 2016, he’s ranked 30th in Total QBR while spending large chunks of time on the sidelines. But he remains a high-end talent and a very intriguing addition to the Pats’ offense in the post-Brady era.
Newton was limited to only two games in 2019, but he did make 14 starts in 2018. In that year, he completed a career-best 67.9% of his throws for 3,395 yards, 24 TDs, and 13 picks. He also showed that he can still make plays with his feet – he tallied 488 rushing yards and four scores on 101 carries. For his career, Newton has amassed a 68-55-1 record as the Panthers’ starting quarterback. That record includes a perfect 2-0 mark against his new team.
After replacing Newton with Teddy Bridgewater, the Panthers tried to trade their longtime star to the Bears and Chargers. Those deals did not come together – the Bears went on to trade for Nick Foles instead while the Chargers waited ’til April to tap Justin Herbert as their new QB addition. With no takers, the Panthers dropped Newton to save $19MM+ in cap room versus $2MM in dead money.
Now, Newton has a prime opportunity to show the world what he can do. Even after his 2018 shoulder relapse and last year’s Lisfranc surgery, Newton still believes that he can play at a high level. For what it’s worth, he’s now six months removed from his December foot surgery and he’ll more or less enter camp with fresh legs.
With Newton, plus a mix of familiar and new faces, the Patriots’ offense is starting to look pretty formidable. Newton will be working with Sony Michel, James White, and Rex Burkhead in the backfield while targeting a receiver group headlined by Julian Edelman, Mohamed Sanu, and N’Keal Harry. The biggest question mark, perhaps, remains at tight end, where they’ll be largely dependent on rookies Dalton Keene and Devin Asiasi.
Whatttttt
Exactly what I said. Literally.
Saw this coming four months ago.
Ur so bold
we’re not worthy
Nor are you intelligent
He belongs on the Psychic Friends Hotline.
Back to the drawing board for Josh McDaniels.
Well I guess we can put off seeing Jarrett Stidham for a year.
Not likely. Cam won’t manage to hold onto the starting job that long.
holding a starting job over Stidham really shouldn’t be that hard
Well at least that takes them out of Trevor Lawrence sweepstakes
Thank you for that reminder man, I need that.
*needed
Good for the Pats. Lawrence is trash.
the right move.
Who didn’t see that happening 7.5 million that’s a deal.
They’re gonna run the piss out of the ball
Maybe, but the Pats were 26th in yards per rush attempt last season. Will they rely on Sony Michel to carry their offense? He’s not Derrick Henry.
I never underestimate Bill. every time you think he can’t do something he pulls a rabbit out a hat that came out of a hippopotamus that he hid under a video camera recording other teams practices.
I lol’ed…A little much and drawn out with the hippo, but the punch line came out of nowhere…Funny one..
Fair but remember the Pats literally didn’t have a FB for the majority of their season after Develin went down. Between no FB & no TE capable of sealing the edge it’s not surprising their run game was so weak. Doesn’t help Andrews who’s one of the best run blocking center’s in football was out all year either.
A no-brainer for the Patriots. Belichick wants to catch Don Shula and couldn’t risk a failed season by Stidham with Hoyer as his only other option. If Newton comes into camp healthy and motivated, he could help the Patriots win 10-12 games this year. If he is still hurt or cannot work with Bill & Josh, they can simply cut him and not cost the team anything. Hopefully, we get the healthy and motivated Cam and the Pats win yet another AFC East title. In Bill We Trust!
I think they’re better off with Stidham/Hoyer but we shall see
Stidham is terrible
Based on anything more than your opinion?
Nailed it
Isn’t winning the AFC West as about as hard for Jennifer Aniston to win a beauty contest against all men?
Fact: Stidham has thrown a score every 4 passes he’s thrown in the NFL. (Just ignore the 2/4 pick six part)
you have no idea cysoxsale.
Stidham/Hoyer is a good pair… but underwhelming. Newton has the ability to be MVP caliber if healthy. Big if.
I’m sure he’s up at night worried about breaking Shula record
He still needs 43 more wins to catch Shula (including the postseason).
If you’re going by regular season wins alone, Bill still needs 55 more.
And Kap is still jobless…love it
lets rank the options in terms of talent
1) kap
2) newton
belichick scewing up again. unfortunately I bet the under on new england and I’m thinking I lost money
You must be dumb
Kap is a bad athlete and person
He was however a pretty damn good pitcher..
I could see his windup now: somehow streamlining a kneel between every pitch.
Kap is a better athlete than just about every backup NFL QB over the past few years. His stand against social injustice might not be to your liking, but hardly makes him a bad person. I would be more inclined to call rapists like Ben R. and Winston bad persons long before Kap.
Look at all those awards that Kaepernick achieved in his career of course he is more talented.
2011 NFL AP Offensive Rookie of the Year
2015 NFL AP MVP
2015 NFL PFWA MVP
2015 NFL Bert Bell Award (Player of the Year)
2015 NFL AP Offensive Player of the Year
2011 NFL All-Rookie Team
2012 NFL Top 100 (#40)
2013 NFL Top 100 (#46)
2014 NFL Top 100 (#24)
2015 NFL Top 100 (#73)
2016 NFL Top 100 (#1)
2017 NFL Top 100 (#44)
2018 NFL Top 100 (#25)
2019 NFL Top 100 (#87)
2011 Pro Bowl
2013 Pro Bowl
2015 Pro Bowl
2015 All Pro
Oh wait those are Cams below are Kaep’s
2013 NFL Top 100 (#81)
2014 NFL Top 100 (#81)
not one pro bowl in his career and not even a top 10 rating when he made it to the superbowl. Even Mitch Trubisky has been to a probowl. Thats some real talent there and that is before the kneeling. Oh i forgot he had 1 player of the week vs Cams 10.
Cam hasn’t really been that great since his 2015 year, however I completely agree he’s a better option than Kap.
On another note, can many me see Kap playing under Bill?
You all know that it’s possible to support Kap and/or BLM and still be fully aware that Cam is the better QB, especially if we’re talking for the Pats. Time for Lynn to walk the walk and sign Kap.
^Winner
Kap has no talent. He can’t read defesnes and he’s scared to death of throwing into coverage.
His last year he had 16 TD’s and 5 INT with a passer rating of 91. That was on a terrible team. Put that season on the Pats and he would be a star.
@cubsnomore even his best season he had 21 TDs (he averages slightly less than that if you do a per 16) …. how many starting QBs average 20TDs a season and keep their job?
Talent at what, cysox? I have to ask, because the answer can’t be football.
Let’s see how good Bellicheat can make Cam. Ball deflators stand by!
Been waiting for you to come out from under your bridge
MadmanTx-You need new material…your drivel is old and tiresome. You are nothing more than a troll.
Good one! original, thoughtful and down right witty! Bravo sir! *eye roll*
Hmm this should be interesting. Bill Vs Cam. Imagine Bill’s reaction if he was coaching SB 50. Remember when Cam refused to go after the fumble? This is gonna be hilarious when he cops an attitude.
Lmao at the dude saying newton’s wealth meant something.
No amount of money is going to cure him dealing with CTE rest of his life. Go look at the headshots newton has taken in his career.
He’s either going to spend his wealth on something stupid based on brain injury reasons or spend it all trying to find a cure and dealing with/treating CTE.
He will go buy more pretty scarves to wear into the locker room. I can see Bill now what the ********* is he wearing? After the game when asked about Cams attire in Bills mumbley tone “we are here to talk about his attire next week nothing we can do about what is done”.
Bill’s idea of stylish attire is a hoodie, so he should check himself before providing any fashion critique of others.
Let Cam Newton do what he pleases. And if CTE’s are that saddening to you, you might want to stop watching the game.
That looks formidable to you?
a former MVP QB with BB at the helm? yep, that’s formidable.
Harry, Sanu, Edelman may be the worst starting WR group in the AFC. BB isn’t an infallible qb miracle worker or Brady would have been better last year. No one else wanted Newton. The TE group is a mystery. The RB committee is very nice, I’ll grant you. But saying they look formidable is a bit precocious. ZL has no clue what this offense is going to do.
A motivated Cam will be great under McDaniels.
“Where did it all begin? Where did this begin? In the past? In the future? Who can say where anything begins? Will we ever be able to know the origin of it all, or will there always be something – something that came before, and before that, and before that? Is there a beginning and an end, or is everything connected in one endless loop? Do the words ‘beginning’ and ‘end’ describe the very same moment?”
BB has had many problem players, gives them a shot dumps them back into the dust bin when they don’t follow instructions. Ho hum another day in Pats land.
If Cam wants to be a starter, he’ll listen. If not, Bill has his backups (which were the original starters).
Is this literally the most predictable move of the off-season?
I honestly thought he was a shoe in for the Chargers qb not the Patriots. I predicted foles or dalton to the patriots as they seem like more the traditional qb like brady.
No, thank you anyway.
Hi
I was very disappointed to hear this. Newton is all done due to his injuries and it takes away an opportunity for Stidham to take the reigns and evolve.
Does anyone think there’s any team politics going on here?
Brady is gone and Newton is all done with injuries.
Many are upset at losing Brady and many on the team are probably supporting BLM.
And you’re taking away playing time from Stidham.
Does this deal make any sense logically?
There may be team dissention and that’s what I mean about politics.