Cam Newton

Cam Newton’s Patriots Deal Does Not Prevent 2021 Franchise Tag

June 30th, 2020 at 2:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

Were the Patriots to see a rejuvenated Cam Newton this season, they will not only have exclusive negotiating rights regarding an extension. They can keep the quarterback via the franchise tag, with Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweeting Newton’s contract will not prevent the Pats from tagging him in 2021.

Newton signed a one-year, incentive-laden deal that could max out at just $7.5MM. The non-exclusive franchise tag for quarterbacks came in at $26.8MM this year. This season will certainly be a high-stakes slate for Newton’s future, but the Patriots having the ability to keep him around without an extension agreement is also notable.

The Patriots were the only team to offer the former MVP a contract. Newton has undergone three surgeries since the beginning of the 2017 offseason — two shoulder procedures and the most recent foot operation — and has missed 16 of the past 18 games. And, excepting the first half of the 2018 season, Newton has struggled since Super Bowl 50. His cumulative QBR since the start of the 2016 season ranks 30th, so a Patriots future beyond 2020 cannot yet be considered a certainty.

But he should be on track to be the Pats’ Week 1 starter, giving him a chance to immediately revive his stock — something Andy Dalton and Jameis Winston are not expected to have, given their agreements to be backup quarterbacks this season. Dalton, Winston, Newton and Philip Rivers agreed to one-year deals, which could set up another rare buyer’s-market scenario at quarterback.

New England was prohibited from tagging Tom Brady this year, after the future Hall of Famer negotiated a deal that allowed him to leave in free agency without that bridge to cross. The Pats have gone year-to-year at quarterback for a bit now, with Brady not landing the extension he sought late in his 20-year New England run. Newton will need to answer some questions before the tag becomes an option, but this scenario will be on the table should the ex-Panthers centerpiece return to form.

AFC East Notes: Newton, Tua, Fins, Bills

June 29th, 2020 at 3:03pm CST by Rory Parks

The Patriots made a big splash last night when they signed former league MVP Cam Newton to a one-year contract. The assumption is that Newton will be the team’s starting signal-caller, but Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network says the Pats made no promises in that regard. Still, while there is technically an open competition between Newton and second-year pro Jarrett Stidham, it would be stunning if Newton did not win the job (video link). Garafolo also points out that Newton still has to pass a physical, but the Patriots are confident he will do so.

Garafolo also passes along a fun fact (via Twitter): New England is the third team in NFL history to lose one MVP and sign another in the same offseason. The 2000 Dolphins parted ways with Dan Marino and brought in Thurman Thomas, and the 2005 Cardinals bid farewell to Emmitt Smith and signed Kurt Warner.

Now for more from the AFC East:

The Dolphins drafted Tua Tagovailoa with the belief that he will be the franchise signal-caller the team has been seeking for the past 20 years. He may not start right away, but Albert Breer of SI.com believes the southpaw will be put into the starting lineup at some point this season. While the 2020 Dolphins should be an improved squad over last year’s iteration, Miami is still probably at least a year away from playoff contention, so the team will have no reason to keep Tagovailoa on the sidelines for the entire campaign.
Miami is set at the LG and C spots with Ereck Flowers and Ted Karras, respectively. Beyond that, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald says the Dolphins are still undecided as to whether second-round rookie Robert Hunt would be a better fit at RG or RT in 2020. If Hunt gets a shot at RT and performs well, that could bump 2019 starter Jesse Davis back to the interior or to the bench. Meanwhile, Michael Deiter will compete for the starting RG and backup C slots.
In the same piece linked above, Jackson notes that the Dolphins are working out WR Gary Jennings in the slot — where he thrived in college — and on the outside. Jennings was a fourth-round pick of the Seahawks in 2019, but Seattle waived him in November and Miami scooped him up. He played in just one game for the ‘Fins before getting hurt, but his draft pedigree and upside will give him a good chance to make the club as the fifth or sixth WR.
In a minor trade last summer, the Bills acquired OL Ryan Bates from the Eagles in exchange for DE Eli Harold. Philadelphia subsequently cut Harold, but Buffalo hung on to Bates, who was active for nine games. Per Adam Caplan of InsideTheBirds.com, the Bills view Bates, a 2019 UDFA, as a viable right tackle, guard, and center, so they expect him to be a key backup in 2020 who may take on a bigger role down the road.
Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic, meanwhile, views Bates as a potential trade candidate. Buscaglia also looks at a few other players that the Bills could put on the trade market, a list headed by WR Robert Foster and TE Jason Croom.

Patriots Were Cam Newton’s Only Offer

June 29th, 2020 at 12:52pm CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots represented Cam Newton‘s one and only contract offer, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). The Browns also showed recent interest, Schefter hears, but they did not put a deal on the table.

Several clubs were connected to Newton, but his free agency dragged on far longer than anyone expected. Now, we know why. Previously, we heard that the Chargers considered him, and Newton’s former head coach Ron Rivera at least thought about bringing him to the Redskins. Still, neither club presented a deal to Newton and his talks with the Browns “never really went anywhere,” per Schefter.

All along, Newton has been seeking an opportunity to start – ideally, with a contender. He found the perfect match in the Patriots, who were previously set to weigh the likes of Brian Hoyer and youngster Jarrett Stidham. With the Browns, Newton would have been entrenched as the QB2 behind Baker Mayfield, and that probably didn’t hold much appeal for him anyway.

With that lack of interest, the Patriots were able to land Newton for an absolute bargain. He can earn up to $7.5MM in 2020 through incentives, but his base salary is much, much lower.

Reactions To Cam Newton Signing With Patriots

June 29th, 2020 at 9:42am CST by Zachary Links

On Sunday, the Patriots found themselves a new quarterback. Former NFL MVP Cam Newton is coming to town, and he came to the Patriots on what appears to be a bargain deal. Newton’s contract can pay up to $7.5MM, but the pact comes with a low base salary and little in the way of locked-in money.

Technically speaking, Newton is one of five quarterbacks on the Patriots’ roster. However, he’s got the most impressive resume by a longshot, and he figures to be a monumental upgrade over Brian Hoyer and Jarrett Stidham, if he’s healthy.

Here’s what they’re saying about the Patriots’ newest QB:

Ultimately, Newton and the Patriots were the perfect match, Bill Barnwell of ESPN.com writes. The Pats were left thread-bare at quarterback after Tom Brady‘s departure and they represented Newton’s best chance at starting right out of the gate for a contender. For the Pats, he says it’s a no-risk deal – in a worst-case scenario, Newton gets injured early on and takes snaps away from Stidham. On the flipside, there’s the dream scenario in which Newton gets back to his old form and sticks around – the Pats are projected to have $86MM+ in cap space next year, should they want to re-sign him. With all of that said, Barnwell wonders whether the Patriots timed the signing to take some of the bad PR out of their other Sunday news story.
Speaking of the Patriots’ penalty, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) notes the hidden value in the Newton deal. If Newton plays well in 2020 and leaves as a free agent, the Patriots could gain a compensatory 2022 third-round pick to help offset the 2021 third-round pick that was stripped.
Jets safety Jamal Adams is also pleased with the deal, even though he’s under contract with the Patriots’ rival. “I salute Coach Bill Belichick for that!,” Adams tweeted. “That’s real. Congratulations Cam!” Adams, of course, is looking to force a trade to one of his preferred teams.
“I’m excited as I don’t know what right now!,” Newton wrote on Instagram.

Patriots To Sign Cam Newton

June 28th, 2020 at 7:25pm CST by Zachary Links

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.

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.

Patriots Explored Cam Newton Deal?

May 31st, 2020 at 6:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

Weeks after Jameis Winston and Andy Dalton agreed to deals, Cam Newton remains unattached. Not much known interest has come Newton’s way since the Panthers released him, and ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler indicated the former MVP’s market has even cooled over the past month.

But the team with the most noticeable quarterback need may well have spoken with Newton at some point this offseason. The Patriots are believed to have talked with Newton early in free agency, Fowler notes, but nothing came out of those discussions. Newton has been a free agent since Carolina released him a week into free agency.

After losing one of the greatest quarterbacks ever, the Patriots did not make an impact move to replace him. Their Tom Brady succession plan exiting May: a competition featuring 2019 fourth-round pick Jarrett Stidham and the recently re-signed Brian Hoyer. New England added two UDFA quarterbacks but passed on several free agent arms since Brady’s Buccaneers defection.

Patriots OC Josh McDaniels interviewed for the Panthers job that ended up going to Matt Rhule, and the veteran play-caller was not believed to be high on Newton during his pitch for the Carolina role. Newton is obviously a more proven passer than Stidham or Hoyer and has achieved far more than many teams’ starting quarterbacks. But the 31-year-old QB’s wait continues. And the former No. 1 overall pick is willing to continue waiting, Fowler adds. At this point, Newton may be waiting to see if a training camp injury or before opens a starting job somewhere.

Reports have created an inconclusive picture of Newton’s desire to accept a backup role, and Fowler notes some around the league are not sure if the nine-year Panthers starter would be willing to do so. Newton has not been a backup since his short stay at Florida in the late 2000s.

The Chargers considered Newton, and ex-Panthers HC Ron Rivera discussed his former charge as well. The injuries Newton suffered in recent years — from his 2018 shoulder relapse to last year’s Lisfranc setback, which required surgery — have worked against Newton in this COVID-19-marred offseason. Although coronavirus restrictions are slowly loosening, free agents remain unable to visit teams’ facilities. Before a franchise goes forward with a Newton offer, it would almost certainly want its medical staff to examine him. This has kept Newton in limbo as he rehabs from the December foot surgery.

Top Remaining Free Agents

May 20th, 2020 at 9:34am CST by Rory Parks

While most of the top free agents in this year’s cycle have long since signed with new clubs, there are plenty of potential difference-makers still available. Those players remain on the market for various reasons — price tag, injury concerns, etc. — but they all could be a key factor in the fortunes of whatever team they ultimately join. Let’s take a look at the best of who’s still out there:

Jadeveon Clowney: If you think you’ve been reading a lot about Clowney over the past couple of months, you’re right. That’s what happens when a former No. 1 overall pick and a young dynamic talent is still up for grabs this late in the offseason. Clowney’s high asking price, originally said to be $20MM per year, certainly scared some teams off, as did his recent core muscle surgery. Some will also point to his relatively low sack totals as evidence that he is not the dynamic pass rushing force that he believes himself to be. But he undeniably has the chops to be a game-changer against the run and pass, and he is content to wait for the right situation to come along. Once teams have the opportunity to evaluate him themselves, his market should heat up rapidly.
Cam Newton: Here’s another former No. 1 overall pick that we have written a great deal about recently. Like Clowney, the 2015 MVP may be signed by now if interested teams could have their own doctors examine him, and Newton is willing to be patient and wait for that to happen if waiting will allow him to secure a starting gig somewhere. But at this point, it looks like only an injury or major underpeformance will open the door for a QB1 role in 2020, so he may have to settle for a top backup job for now and hit the free agent market again in 2021. He is reportedly warming to that idea.
Everson Griffen: Like Clowney, Griffen is a talented pass rusher, but unlike Clowney, Griffen has multiple double-digit sack campaigns under his belt. The 32-year-old posted eight QB takedowns in 2019, and it is a little surprising to see him unsigned this late in the process. A reunion with the Vikings may be in the cards, and the Seahawks are the only other club to be connected to Griffen at this point.
Jason Peters: The only reason Peters isn’t signed yet is because of his age (38). He turned in a typically terrific season in 2019, and he has been connected to a number of clubs over the past couple of months. The problem is, many of those teams have filled their needs at the offensive tackle spots, so even though Peters has said that he is willing to play on the left or the right side, his options are now more limited. The Chargers could still be in play, and another year with the Eagles may also be a reality.
Logan Ryan: Unlike several of the players ahead of him on this list, Ryan doesn’t have any notable health concerns, but his asking price — he’s seeking around $10MM per year — could be depressing his market. He turned in a productive 2019 season with the Titans and has the versatility to move around the defensive backfield, which has apparently led to multi-year offers. Given the need for quality corners in today’s game, Ryan will likely land a lucrative deal soon, it just may not be as lucrative as he wants. The Jets and Dolphins are involved in the bidding.
Markus Golden: Golden enjoyed what appeared to be a breakout season with the Cardinals in 2016, posting 12.5 sacks in just his second year in the league. But injuries limited the edge rusher over the 2017-18 seasons, and he had to settle for a one-year prove-it deal with the Giants in 2019. He perhaps thought that he proved it, recording 10 sacks for Big Blue, but those 10 sacks came from just 26 total pressures, which is probably an unsustainable conversion rate. So far, only the Giants — who put the rarely-used UFA tender on Golden — have been publicly connected to him.
Devonta Freeman: We haven’t heard a peep about the two-time Pro Bowl running back since the Falcons released him in March. The fact that Atlanta replaced him with Todd Gurley and his frightening injury concerns isn’t a good sign, and Freeman’s 3.6 YPC average in 2019 certainly isn’t helping matters either. Freeman’s own injury problems limited him to two games in 2018, so he is now two years removed from his last effective season. It’s nonetheless a bit of a surprise that there have been no rumors of interest in his services.
Delanie Walker: The best tight end left on the market, Walker has battled injuries over the past two seasons and will turn 36 in August, so it makes sense that we haven’t heard too much about him lately. But while he may not be a TE1 anymore, he could still be a useful weapon in the passing game, and he also has a history of being a strong blocker. The Colts, Packers, and Redskins were said to be interested in him in March, and those teams continue to look like good fits even after the draft. The Ravens, who rely heavily on TEs and who traded Hayden Hurst to the Falcons this offseason, also make some sense.
Eric Reid: The 28-year-old safety turned in what appeared to be a strong year in 2019, starting all 16 games for the Panthers and posting a career-best 130 tackles. The problem is, he may have had so many tackle opportunities because he allowed over 77% of throws in his vicinity to be completed. Still, he is an experienced and generally solid back-end defender, and the Texans — who employ his brother, Justin Reid — seem like a logical fit.
Darqueze Dennard: Dennard, a former first-round pick of the Bengals, thought he had a deal with the Jaguars in March. But Jacksonville backed out of the deal, and while there was no word on why that happened, it could be that health concerns made the Jags skittish. Dennard missed the first few weeks of the 2019 season due to a knee procedure, but he did play every game from Week 10 forward and graded out well in terms of Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics. He has been Cincinnati’s primary slot corner over the past several seasons, but there has been no reported interest in him since the failed Jaguars pact.

Chargers HC: We Took “A Look” At Cam Newton

May 18th, 2020 at 9:21am CST by Rory Parks

The Chargers have been mentioned as one of the likeliest landing spots for quarterback Cam Newton ever since the Panthers released the former MVP. Even after Los Angeles added Justin Herbert in this year’s draft, Newton was still considered a possibility given that he — if healthy — would represent an upgrade over presumptive starting signal-caller Tyrod Taylor.

And the Chargers themselves did give the matter some thought. In a recent interview with Zach Gelb of CBS Sports Radio (story via Jordan Dajani of CBS Sports), Los Angeles head coach Anthony Lynn conceded that the Bolts considered signing Newton.

“Absolutely, Cam is a tremendous quarterback,” Lynn said. “He’s been MVP of this league, he’s led his team to the Super Bowl and he’s healthy now from what I hear. Cam is going to be on somebody’s roster and he’s going to help somebody win a few games, but yeah, we did take a look at that, sure.”

Lynn previously indicated that he was interested in Newton, but this marks the first time that he explicitly said so. When asked why the Chargers passed on the three-time Pro Bowler, Lynn reiterated his feelings towards his current QBs.

“I feel really good about the quarterback room that I have,” he said. “With Tyrod Taylor, Easton Stick — those are guys that a lot of people don’t talk about, but [Stick] was a Division I AA — he won like three national championships. He’s a hell of a leader, hell of a professional and I think he has a bright future in this league one day.”

When factoring Herbert into the mix, it certainly seems as if Newton is no longer a candidate for the Chargers, barring injury. The same can be said for the Patriots, another club viewed as a potential suitor. So Newton, who has said that he is willing to be patient, will need to wait for an injury to, or an extremely disappointing performance from, a current starting quarterback if he wants a QB1 role in 2020. However, he may be warming to the idea of a backup role, which would give him a chance to re-establish himself and perhaps become the best free agent QB available in 2021.

Patriots Notes: Stidham, McDaniels, Winovich

May 9th, 2020 at 9:57am CST by Ben Levine

Jarrett Stidham will likely be taking over for Tom Brady next season, and his former college coach is optimistic that the 2019 fourth-rounder will be successful.

“It definitely helped him to learn under the best and see what that looks like, but he’s the kind of young man, too, this is what he’s been waiting on,” Auburn’s Gus Malzahn told ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “I’ll tell you, the moment won’t be too big for him. He’ll be up to the challenge, that’s what I expect.

“Even when he got here, before he played his first game, you could just kind of tell he was a mature young man. Like a gym rat, always at the complex trying to learn, study film. When he got drafted by the Patriots [in 2019], I thought it was a perfect spot for him system-wise — spreading the field. He’s so good with protections, changing protections, and scheme-wise everything that goes with it, and just the flexibility the scheme gives him. I think that really applies to his strength.”

Stidham played a pair of seasons at Auburn, including a 2017 campaign where he connected on 66.5-percent of his passes for 3,158 yards, 18 touchdowns, and six interceptions.

Here are some more notes out of New England:

We’ve heard this plenty of times, but Joseph Person of The Athletic reiterates that Cam Newton won’t be landing with the Patriots. In fact, the reporter notes that Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels wasn’t “necessarily high” on Newton when he interviewed for the Panthers’ head coaching gig.
Speaking of McDaniels, SI.com’s Albert Breer writes that a successful 2020 campaign (particularly from Stidham) could go a long way in the OC getting more head coaching interviews next offseason. If McDaniels does leave New England, Breer hints that he may take Patriots pro director Dave Ziegler with him; McDaniels planned to recruit the executive when he was interviewing with Cleveland.
Patriots defensive end Chase Winovich is recovering from hernia surgery, reports Stan Grossfeld of the Boston Globe. The 25-year-old underwent the procedure back in February. The 2019 third-rounder had a solid rookie season for New England, compiling 26 tackles and 5.5 sacks.
Marqise Lee‘s new one-year deal with the Patriots is worth the veteran minimum, reports Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (via Twitter). The deal could be worth up to $1.0475MM, and it includes $300K in guaranteed money. If Lee makes the team, he’ll have a cap hold of $887.5K.

Cam Newton Open To Being Backup?

May 7th, 2020 at 12:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

After Jameis Winston and Andy Dalton signed to be backup quarterbacks in high-profile situations, Cam Newton may now be open to taking this route.

Not previously believed to be considering backup jobs, the former MVP would now consider accepting one in the right situation, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (video link).

Newton obviously would prefer to catch on somewhere as a starter, but with the nine-year Panther veteran perhaps needing to wait until training camp for that to happen — in the event of an injury — he may be forced to take a QB2 gig if he wants to sign somewhere soon. A month ago, teams were interested. But with no clear-cut starter jobs available, and with rookie QBs now landing with teams, finding interested parties becomes trickier.

The No. 1 overall pick in 2011, Newton started in Week 1 of his rookie season and saw only injuries interfere with his status as Carolina’s top quarterback. But with the Panthers releasing him after free agency began, and with teams being unable to host players on visits due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the soon-to-be 31-year-old passer wound up in a tough spot. Teams have wanted to examine the shoulder Newton injured in 2018 and the foot on which he underwent surgery on last year.

The three-time Pro Bowler has largely struggled since his 2015 MVP season, ranking 30th in Total QBR since 2016 and being unable to stay healthy for most of that span. But he remains a high-end talent, when healthy, and would certainly be an intriguing backup for many teams. This would likely be a one-year arrangement. Newton agreeing to a one-year deal would put him in position to have a better market in 2021 — in what could be a more normal offseason.

Winston signed for one year with a $1.1MM base salary with the Saints — a massive pay cut from his 2019 fifth-year option price — and Dalton agreed to a $3MM base with the Cowboys. Newton was scheduled to earn an $18.6MM base salary in the final year of his Panthers deal. Even as that contract was outdated based on where the QB market has gone, Newton may now be looking at a salary closer to Dalton’s than anything on the level of his previous deal.

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