Cam Newton - Pro Football Rumors

Panthers Sign Cam Newton To Five-Year Extension

June 3rd, 2015 at 7:53am CST by Luke Adams

WEDNESDAY, 7:53am: According to former agent Joel Corry (Twitter link via SiriusXM NFL Radio), $41MM of Newton’s new contract is fully guaranteed at the time of the signing, with a total of $54MM becoming fully guaranteed within the first 12 months of the deal.

TUESDAY, 4:07pm: Newton’s contract calls for a $22.5MM signing bonus, a $7.5MM roster bonus due on June 6th, and a $1MM salary for 2015, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The quarterback, in total, will earn $31MM in 2015.

3:46pm: Newton has officially signed his extension, the Panthers announced today in a press release.

3:35pm: As expected, the Panthers have reached an agreement on a new contract for quarterback Cam Newton, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). According to Rapoport, it’ll be a five-year extension for Newton worth $103MM. ESPN 730 in Charlotte first reported yesterday that the two sides were nearing a deal.

Per reports from Adam Schefter of ESPN.com and Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link), the total value of Newton’s extension is actually $103.8MM, while Schefter tweets that the pact includes $60MM in guaranteed money. According to Rapoport, Garafolo, and Schefter (Twitter links), the contract features a payout of $67.6MM in the first three years, a mammoth figure that may represent the highest total ever for the first three years of an NFL contract.

If the entirety of Newton’s $60MM guarantee is fully guaranteed, it would be the highest figure in NFL history, narrowly edging the amount Ndamukong Suh received this offseason. However, we’ll have to wait for the specifics of the contract to be reported and confirmed before we know for sure how it will be structured, and whether or not some of the guarantees are for injury only. For now, Newton’s deal appears to be very similar to the five year, $103.75MM pact Matt Ryan received from the Falcons, which would make the Panthers’ signal-caller one of the NFL’s top-five highest-paid quarterbacks.

The Panthers and Newton had been expected to make every effort to work out a long-term arrangement at some point this offseason, but as of last week, negotiations had “barely gotten off the ground,” tweets Rapoport. Rapoport and Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link) both indicate that things happened quickly over the last few days, with talks between the team and agents Bus Cook, Chitta Mallik, and Tony Paige intensifying over the weekend.

While Russell Wilson‘s contract talks have dominated the rumor mill in recent weeks, Newton is the other notable young quarterback who would be eligible for unrestricted free agency following the 2015 season without a new contract. The former No. 1 overall pick was drafted a year earlier than Wilson – in 2011 rather than 2012 – but the Panthers were able to secure him for an extra season beyond his rookie deal by exercising his fifth-year option for ’15. Newton had been on track to earn a salary of $14.666MM for the coming season.

Newton, 26, has earned a pair of Pro Bowl berths during his first four seasons with the Panthers and is coming off a 2014 campaign in which he threw for 3,127 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in 14 regular season contests. Despite finishing the season with a 7-8-1 record, Carolina won the NFC South and defeated the Cardinals on Wild Card weekend, the first postseason victory of Newton’s career.

Although Newton’s career passing numbers are somewhat modest, he has provided plenty of value with his legs as well, rushing for 2,571 yards and 33 touchdowns in his four seasons. Additionally, his passing totals were likely stunted somewhat last year due to his mediocre receiving corps — Greg Olsen stepped up and had a career year at tight end, but the wideouts were headed by rookie Kelvin Benjamin and journeyman Jerricho Cotchery. With Benjamin expected to take a step forward in his second year and 2015 second-rounder Devin Funchess added to the mix, Newton should have a little more help going forward.

Outside of Wilson, other big-name quarterbacks whose contracts are set to expire after the 2015 season include Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, and Nick Foles. Of that group, Manning and Rivers are coming off veteran deals, so their negotiations will look a little different than Newton’s or Wilson’s. As for Foles, he’s finishing up his rookie contract, but his next deal will hinge significantly on how he adjusts with his new team in 2015.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Panthers GM, Coach On Cam Newton’s Extension

June 2nd, 2015 at 7:03pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier today, quarterback Cam Newton officially inked a contract that will keep him with the Panthers through the 2020 season. Carolina is thrilled to have its franchise quarterback locked up and Newton is also excited to have the deal done. When asked how he’s going to celebrate tonight, Newton told reporters, including Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer (on Twitter), that he’s going to enjoy some Lucky Charms and some milk. Here’s more on Newton’s new deal..

Panthers GM Dave Gettleman says that his team has been very deliberate in getting finances in order so that he could pay Cam Newton and build around him, David Newton of ESPN.com tweets. In recent years, Gettleman cut high-priced veterans such as Steve Smith and DeAngelo Williams in favor of low-cost free agents.
Gettleman believes that Newton will take the team “to the promised land” that is the Super Bowl, David Newton tweets.
The quarterback told reporters, including Person (on Twitter), that the contract won’t change his approach to the game, though he said he will be more mindful of the hits he takes.
Gettleman said it took eleven days to get a deal done, Person tweets. The GM sent his first proposal to agent Bus Cook four days before the Ryan Tannehill deal was done.
Panthers coach Ron Rivera said it was important to make sure that Newton knew the Panthers were committed to him, David Newton tweets.

Cam Newton, Panthers Nearing Long-Term Deal

June 1st, 2015 at 10:31am CST by Luke Adams

10:31am: Newton’s deal won’t be structured like Dalton’s or Kaepernick’s, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today, who says (via Twitter) to expect significant guaranteed money.

9:31am: According to Rapoport (Twitter link), the five new years on Newton’s deal are expected to be worth more than $100MM.

8:53am: The Panthers and Cam Newton are closing in a long-term extension that would keep the quarterback locked up through the 2020 season, league sources tell Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link). ESPN 730 in Charlotte was the first to tweet that the two sides are nearing an agreement, with both reports suggesting that a deal could be finalized as soon as today.

The Panthers and Newton had been expected to make every effort to work out a long-term arrangement at some point this offseason, but as of last week, negotiations had “barely gotten off the ground,” tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Rapoport and Person (Twitter link) both indicate that things happened quickly over the last few days, with talks between the team and agents Bus Cook and Tony Paige intensifying over the weekend.

While Russell Wilson‘s contract talks have dominated the rumor mill in recent weeks, Newton is the other notable young quarterback who would be eligible for unrestricted free agency following the 2015 season without a new contract. The former No. 1 overall pick was drafted a year earlier than Wilson – in 2011 rather than 2012 – but the Panthers were able to secure him for an extra season beyond his rookie deal by exercising his fifth-year option for ’15. Newton had been on track to earn a salary of $14.666MM for the coming season.

Newton, 26, has earned a pair of Pro Bowl berths during his first four seasons with the Panthers and is coming off a 2014 campaign in which he threw for 3,127 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in 14 regular season contests. Despite finishing the season with a 7-8-1 record, Carolina won the NFC South and defeated the Cardinals on Wild Card weekend, the first postseason victory of Newton’s career.

Although Newton’s career passing numbers are somewhat modest, he has provided plenty of value with his legs as well, rushing for 2,571 yards and 33 touchdowns in his four seasons. Additionally, his passing totals were likely stunted somewhat last year due to his mediocre receiving corps — Greg Olsen stepped up and had a career year at tight end, but the wideouts were headed by rookie Kelvin Benjamin and journeyman Jerricho Cotchery. With Benjamin expected to take a step forward in his second year and 2015 second-rounder Devin Funchess added to the mix, Newton should have a little more help going forward.

It’s not clear yet what the numbers on Newton’s new contract will look like. I’d expect his deal to be more player-friendly extensions signed by Andy Dalton, Colin Kaepernick, and Ryan Tannehill, but not as lucrative as contracts like Jay Cutler‘s and Joe Flacco‘s. As Joel Corry of CBSSports.com tweets, Newton’s pact should feature much more guaranteed money than Tannehill got last month ($21.5MM fully guaranteed, $45MM in overall guarantees). An annual average salary in the neighborhood of $20MM also seems likely.

Outside of Newton and Wilson, other big-name quarterbacks whose contracts are set to expire after the 2015 season include Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, and Nick Foles. Of that group, Manning and Rivers are coming off veteran deals, so their negotiations will look a little different than Newton’s or Wilson’s. As for Foles, he’s finishing up his rookie contract, but his next deal will hinge significantly on how he adjusts with his new team in 2015.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

South Notes: Mettenberger, Luck, Newton

May 19th, 2015 at 9:01am CST by Luke Adams

Shortly after the Titans used the second overall pick in this year’s draft on quarterback Marcus Mariota, a report surfaced suggesting that incumbent signal-caller Zach Mettenberger wanted to be traded out of Tennessee. Mettenberger and the Titans quickly denied that claim, and now the second-year QB has taken a more significant step to show that he’s happy in Tennessee.

According to Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com (Twitter links), Mettenberger has changed agents, going from Joe Linta to CAA’s Tom Condon and Jimmy Sexton. Although Mettenberger hasn’t explicitly stated his motivation for the change, McCormick notes that the post-draft trade talk was pinned on Linta, while Sexton also represents Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt.

Here’s more from around the NFL’s two South divisions:

Ryan Tannehill belongs to the same draft class as Andrew Luck, but yesterday’s contract extension for the Dolphins quarterback means nothing for the former No. 1 pick, writes Mike Wells of ESPN.com. As Wells observes, Luck is in a “different bracket” than Tannehill, meaning their contracts almost certainly look all that similar when all is said and done.
Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer believes the Tannehill extension doesn’t mean much for Cam Newton‘s next contract either, though Person notes that it increases the floor for QBs around the league.
Zach Strief doesn’t have any misconceptions about Andrus Peat‘s future role with the Saints, telling Mike Triplett of ESPN.com that the 13th overall pick is going to be “taking my job eventually.” With Peat preparing to play right tackle, Strief also shot down the idea that he could transition to left guard. “[Tim Lelito and Senio Kelemete] are two excellent football players, and two guys I’m never gonna beat out as a guard,” Strief said. “So it’ll be one of those two.”
The Titans are looking for their rookie running backs to lose some weight and get in better shape, writes Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com.

Sunday Roundup: Panthers, Thomas, Levy

March 29th, 2015 at 12:46pm CST by Rory Parks

Let’s take a look at some notes from around the league on this Sunday afternoon:

David Newton of ESPN.com passes along a couple of Panthers items. He believes an extension for Cam Newton will get done before the season begins, but both sides will wait until Russell Wilson signs his new deal before really moving forward. The ESPN scribe also expects an extension for Thomas Davis to happen at some point, but there is no real rush to get it done immediately.
Although the Broncos have to seriously consider taking a quarterback with one of their ten draft picks, Mike Kiszla of The Denver Post does not see any of this year’s crops of signal-callers outside of Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota as a legitimate heir to Peyton Manning.
Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com writes that Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians plans to give second-year quarterback Logan Thomas “a ton of work” this offseason. Most of Thomas’ reps will come with the second unit, but given that Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton are coming off injury, there should be opportunities with the first team as well.
Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com believes the Bears will look to the draft for a wide receiver to complement Alshon Jeffery, and they will only turn to the free agent pool if they are unable to adequately address their needs with a rookie or two.
Now that Ndamukong Suh is gone, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com believes DeAndre Levy might be the player to build around as the cornerstone of the Lions‘ defense.
If Jimmy Smith were to hit the open market next offseason, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com believes he would be the best cornerback in the free agent class. But Hensley thinks the Ravens will either lock Smith up with a long-term extension or else put the franchise tag on him, as he is too valuable for the team to let go. Byron Maxwell‘s new six-year deal with the Eagles, which includes $25.5MM guaranteed and has an AAV of $10.5MM, would be a good benchmark for a Smith extension.
David Moore of The Dallas Morning News says it is unlikely that Adrian Peterson will end up with the Cowboys, but given the unpredictability of owner Jerry Jones, it is too soon to dismiss the possibility altogether.

NFC Mailbags: Peterson, Rams, Gurley, Newton

March 28th, 2015 at 5:02pm CST by Rob DiRe

We already took a look at some of the AFC mailbags, now let us turn our attention to what ESPN.com’s writes are saying about the NFC:

The biggest question left for the Cowboys in terms of building their team outside the draft is whether or not they will trade for Adrian Peterson. Todd Archer writes that while you can never rule anything out with the Cowboys, he doesn’t see it as a real possibility.
The Rams are in an odd spot drafting at No. 10, with no obvious players or needs going in that range. Nick Wagoner opened his mailbag to questions about what the team will do if one of the better prospects falls to them, despite not being an immediate fit. He believes the team would have to consider players like Amari Cooper, Kevin White, Vic Beasley, and Randy Gregory should they be available.
The Cardinals have a lot of questions at running back, and Josh Weinfuss explores two options, with the likeliness of either Todd Gurley or Peterson starting at halfback for the team in 2015. Weinfuss writes that while every player is different, Gurley should be ready for the beginning of the season. In the case of Peterson, he notes that the chances of a deal materializing lessen as time goes on.
Cam Newton is coming closer to a contract extension with the Panthers, and David Newton answers questions about his progress this offseason and the team’s opinions of him. He also touches on whether the team would be willing to trade up in the draft, which he hasn’t seen precedent of under general manager Dave Gettleman.

NFC South Notes: Falcons, Quinn, Newton, Hill

March 25th, 2015 at 7:00pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Falcons were told at this week’s owners meetings that they will face “severe” discipline for violating an NFL policy, according to ESPN. The Falcons were investigated for piping artificial crowd noise into the Georgia Dome over the last two seasons, which team owner Arthur Blank acknowledged in February, and the severity of their punishment will be announced next week. Per ESPN, the Falcons could face “a hefty fine, a loss of a draft pick or picks, or other penalties,” though Blank and the team have been fully cooperative in the league’s investigation.

“We have great respect for the shield and the integrity of the game, the integrity of competition,” said Blank.

Here’s more on the Falcons and one of their NFC South rivals:

The Falcons are done free agency shopping after adding linebackers Brooks Reed and Justin Durant, defensive end Adrian Clayborn, and tight ends Jacob Tamme and Tony Moeaki, among others, this offseason. They will now turn their attention toward the upcoming draft, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “We’re always looking,” new head coach Dan Quinn said in regards to adding more free agents, but he also stated that “the focus has kind of shifted to the draft.”
Quinn shot down the notion that the Falcons recently discussed a trade with the Seahawks for defensive end Michael Bennett, reports Ledbetter. “I don’t know where that story came from,” said Quinn. “It was just one of those random things that should have been mark down as ‘nothing.’ He’s a great player, but there have been no talks at all.” Quinn coordinated Seattle’s defense from 2013-14, during which time Bennett combined for 15.5 sacks.
Panthers head coach Ron Rivera told reporters he’s confident that the team and Cam Newton will work toward a new contract, adding that he’d like to see it get done prior to the season (Twitter links via Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer and ESPN.com’s David Newton). Newton is entering the final year of his deal.
Rivera also said Wednesday that having Stephen Hill in the mix takes some pressure off the Panthers when it comes to drafting a wide receiver, per David Newton (via Twitter). Despite Rivera’s endorsement, Hill hasn’t shown himself to be much of a threat since entering the league in 2012. He caught a combined 45 passes between 2012-13 for the Jets and spent last season on the Panthers’ practice squad. It’s tough to imagine his presence will heavily influence the Panthers come draft time.

Panthers, Cam Newton Begin Extension Talks

February 21st, 2015 at 10:00pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Panthers were scheduled to meet with the representatives for quarterback Cam Newton at the combine in Indianapolis today, writes Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer, and the two sides are expected to open talks on a contract extension. Newton is under contract for 2015 via his fifth-year option, which will pay him a base salary of $14.67MM.

According to Person, Newton isn’t in a hurry to get a long-term deal hammered out. Instead, the 25-year-old would prefer to wait for Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson to sign extensions, presumably setting the market (and ceiling) for his own contract. Luck is expected to receive an annual average value nearing $25MM, while recent reports have suggested that Wilson could garner a fully guaranteed contract, or something close to it. As Person writes, Newton would probably fall within the $20MM per year range, with a contract comparable to Joe Flacco or Tony Romo.

After Luck and Wilson ink their extensions, Newton will hear Carolina’s offer, and then decide if he’d like to remain with the club for the foreseeable future, says Person. Newton, the first overall pick in the 2011 draft, has made it clear that he isn’t interested in a Colin Kaepernick-like contract structure — the 49ers QB accepted a deal with a hefty total value but little guaranteed money. The Panthers could opt to place the franchise tag on Newton to retain him in 2016, but the one-year cap hit to keep a quarterback is prohibitive.

NFC Mailbags: Newton, Lions, McCarthy, Giants

February 14th, 2015 at 10:00am CST by Ben Levine

We checked out ESPN.com’s AFC mailbags earlier this morning. Let’s now shift our focus to the NFC…

If quarterbacks like Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco can average $20MM annually, David Newton believes Cam Newton could certainly be included in that group. Ultimately, the writer believes the Panthers quarterback will receive a contract totaling about $100MM.
Kicker Matt Prater and defensive back Rashean Mathis want to return to the Lions next season, according to Michael Rothstein. There has been some contact between the organization and the agents for the team’s multiple free agents, but the writer cautions that nothing’s been “locked down.”
Despite Mike McCarthy‘s interest in the personnel aspect of the league, the Packers head coach does not want to be the team’s general manager, writes Rob Demovsky. The writer says the coach’s recent shuffling of the coaching staff indicates that he’d like to get involved in other areas of coaching.
Dan Graziano doesn’t see any incentive for the Giants to pursue Ray Rice over any other running back.
Considering the linebacker’s age and injury history, John Keim can’t envision Washington investing too much money in Brian Orakpo. Meanwhile, the writer could see the team bringing back quarterback Colt McCoy, tight end Niles Paul, and “perhaps” running back Roy Helu and wideout Leonard Hankerson. Santana Moss is among the players Keim would be surprised to see return.

NFC Mailbags: Rams, Panthers, Lions, Giants

January 31st, 2015 at 12:25pm CST by Ben Levine

We took a look at notes from ESPN.com’s AFC mailbags earlier this morning. Let’s now shift our focus to the NFC…

Even if the Rams end up re-signing wideout Kenny Britt, Nick Wagoner believes it wouldn’t be farfetched for the team to take a receiver with their first-round pick.
Greg Olsen would like to get an extension worked out before next season, and David Newton says it’d be wise for the Panthers to sign the tight end. The writer points out that signing Cam Newton is the team’s main priority, but re-signing Olsen is not far down the list.
Michael Rothstein writes that it’s “feasible” for the Lions to pay Ndamukong Suh more than J.J. Watt, but the writer notes that it would likely depend on the contract’s structure. Rothstein believes the team may have an eye towards the expected cap increases in future seasons, which means the team would prefer a backloaded contract.
Besides Jason Pierre-Paul, Dan Graziano isn’t entirely sure which of the Giants free agents the organization would want to re-sign. Antrel Rolle could return, but Graziano doesn’t expect the safety to take a discount. The writer has similar feelings toward safety Stevie Brown and defensive tackle Mike Patterson.