Cam Newton, Quarterback, Carolina Panthers
If one thing was clear this past season, it is that Mitch Trubisky is not the answer in Chicago. I’m sure that the front office isn’t quite ready to pull the plug on him just yet, but they have to be thinking what their next move is, because it’s not likely that he’s going to be the one taking them on any deep playoff runs fighting for a Lombardi trophy.
Meanwhile, things are very up in the air at the quarterback position over in Carolina as well. Cam Newton is coming off of a missed year due to injury, and the Panthers have a whole new regime running the show. There has always been plenty of worry about when his style of play would catch up to him physically, and we saw a little of that last year.
New head coach Matt Rhule could very well opt to ride with Newton, as he is somewhat of a cheap option on the last year of his deal at $21 million for someone who was once a league MVP. But the Panthers pick at No. 7 in this years NFL Draft and could be in prime position to snag one of the top signal callers not named Joe Burrow. Parting ways with Newton would save $19 million and only cost them $2 million in dead money.
The Bears don’t pick high enough in this draft to be able to take a quarterback that would be a substantial upgrade from Trubisky and would have to leverage even more draft capital to put themselves in that position. Using one of the second-round picks they have to pry Newton away from Carolina would not only give them a proven, veteran leader at the quarterback position, but someone who can run Matt Nagy’s offense the way he intended it to be run.
