Cam Newton

Following his release from the Panthers in March, Newton struggled to garner any interest in free agency. Then, after over three months of waiting, Newton found himself joining forces with the New England Patriots. The former NFL MVP signed a one-year, incentive-laden deal in hopes to revive his career in New England.

Despite Newton’s arrival, it isn’t a guarantee that he’ll earn the starting job this offseason. If Newton proves that he can’t remain healthy or struggles to grasp the offense, then the Patriots could side with Jarrett Stidham under center. However, in the event that Newton does perform well — which is expected of him — then him and New England could be a match made in heaven.

While the Patriots don’t have a dynamic group of offensive skill players, they might have the best group of weapons that Newton has dealt with. When Newton won the NFL MVP award in 2015, his leading pass-catchers were Greg Olsen, Ted Ginn Jr., Jerricho Cotchery, and Corey Brown. Therefore, a group of Julian Edelman, Mohamed Sanu, N’Keal Harry, and James White could be considered an upgrade.

The biggest reason for optimism for Newton is that he’ll have an opportunity to play under Josh McDaniels. McDaniels will undoubtedly use bits and pieces of Norv Turner’s offensive schemes that Newton thrived in before getting injured with the Panthers in 2018. It’s safe to say that if Newton can remain upright, he could help the Patriots keep their dynasty alive following the departure of Brady.