It could be the end of an era for the New Orleans Saints. The NFC Divisional Round loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers sure looked like Drew Brees’ last game as starting quarterback for the franchise. While nothing official has been announced, the team has to start putting together a contingency plan if Brees is truly done, and Cam Newton could be an option.
New Orleans would probably love to bring back Jameis Winston, but after Taysom Hill was selected to start the games Bress missed over him, he could look to sign elsewhere. There is a chance a quarterback-needy team, such as the New England Patriots, could offer Winston more money and a bigger role than the cash-strapped Saints.
Hill played admirably while replacing Brees, but it is tough to imagine they would turn the offense over to him without some veteran competition being brought in. That is one of the reasons Cam Newton would be the perfect fit in free agency for New Orleans.
Things didn’t go as planned for Newton in New England, but the blame cannot be placed solely on him. Testing positive for COVID-19 derailed what was a promising start to 2020 and the lack of weapons offensively hurt. There would be no such lack in New Orleans with Michael Thomas at wide receiver and Alvin Kamara at running back.
Newton also wouldn’t cost the Saints much to bring in. They are the team furthest over the cap in the league, so bringing in players will not be an easy task. Newton would be one of the cheaper veteran options available this offseason if both Brees and Winston move on.
From a game-planning perspective, Newton also fits what Sean Payton and company are doing. Hill will assuredly have some things in the playbook catered to his skill set. There are similarities between what he and Newton bring to the table offensively given their ability to run the football from the quarterback position.
There aren’t many teams in the league that may have playing time available for Newton. If he prioritizes getting on the field over how much money he will earn, New Orleans is as good of a match for Newton as they are for him.
