New England Patriots: Is it Cam Newton or nothing in free agency?
With other free agent quarterbacks signing with other teams in the past week, it appears it might be Cam Newton or nothing for the New England Patriots.
For the first time in two decades, the New England Patriots have a big question mark at the quarterback position. With legendary quarterback Tom Brady deciding to leave New England to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency, the Patriots will have a new face under center for the first time since Brady joined the NFL out of Michigan in 2000.
With a need and hole at the quarterback position leading into the 2020 NFL season, New England currently has two quarterbacks on the roster that will try and fight for the starting spot. Those two quarterbacks are second-year quarterback Jarrett Stidham and veteran Brian Hoyer.
That is unless the Patriots decide to lean towards the free-agent market to bring a player to add to the quarterback room, especially after they didn’t take a prospect in the NFL Draft at the end of April.
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The good news for the New England Patriots is that there are still some options on the open market as far as quarterbacks go, but that talent pool in free agency is suddenly thinning out as the offseason moves along.
This offseason, there have been veteran players like former Tampa Bay quarterback Jameis Winston, former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton and former Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton that have been available for New England to try and sign.
Unfortunately, in the last week, that free agent talent at the biggest position of need for the Patriots has started to thin out.
Right after the draft, Winston agreed to take a backup role behind Drew Brees when he signed with the New Orleans Saints on a one-year deal. If things work out for both Winston and New Orleans during the 2020 campaign, he could end up filling in as the starter for the Saints when Brees moves on into retirement after this season.
Most recently, after he was released last week by the Bengals after Cincinnati selected LSU’s Joe Burrow with the first overall pick in the draft, Dalton reportedly signed also signed a one-year deal with the Dallas Cowboys to take a back-up role behind Dak Prescott on America’s Team.
Former Bengals’ QB Andy Dalton is signing a one-year deal worth up to $7 million that includes $3 million guaranteed with the Dallas Cowboys, source tells ESPN.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 3, 2020
Dalton is returning to Texas.
That leaves Newton as the only remaining notable quarterback left on the free-agent market for teams, including the Patriots, to ponder on signing before the new season begins.
If New England is ultimately looking to add to its quarterback depth in 2020, a healthy Newton would be the perfect option for Bill Belichick and company to take a flier on. In fact, it might be the only worthwhile option left on the open market.
Newton could change the look of a Patriots offense compared to what we have been accustomed to seeing out of it in the past two decades led by Brady. Newton’s ability to both air the ball out and use his speed in the running game could be an intriguing change of pace for New England at the position.
Newton could also be looking for a one-year prove-it deal that would allow the Patriots to ultimately move on from him after the 2020 season if they found he wasn’t the player they would like to lead the offense.
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If New England doesn’t go out and sign Newton this offseason, it will roll with either Stidham or Hoyer under center and could end up viewing this year as a rebuilding campaign while targeting a quarterback either in the 2021 NFL Draft or in free agency next offseason.
Either way, the Patriots have a decision to make at quarterback this offseason. And while they might ultimately decide on one of the two players they currently have on the roster, free agency could still be an option as well. But if New England wants to grab a quarterback to lead the offense in 2020 via the free-agent market, it will have to be Newton or nothing.