With Tom Brady leaving the New England Patriots this offseason to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Bill Belichick is in need of finding a new quarterback. Thankfully, one perfect option may have just become available.

The Carolina Panthers made the decision to release longtime franchise quarterback Cam Newton on Tuesday morning. Newton will now hit the open free agency market, giving Belichick a chance to swoop in and sign him. That move would make a ton of sense.

SportsLine took a look at the odds for each team to end up signing Newton. They currently have the Los Angeles Chargers as the most likely landing spot, while the Miami Dolphins are right behind them at No. 2. Following those two teams, the Patriots were listed as the third most likely landing spot for Newton.

Newton would be a huge step towards remaining in contention for the Patriots. He may not be what he once was and there may be concerns surrounding his healthy, but New England should still take a chance on him.

More than likely, Newton’s presence in New England would keep them in the playoff race. Belichick will do everything in his power to keep the Patriots competitive. He is not ready to head into a rebuild.

Last season with the Panthers, Newton only played in two games before an injury ended his season. Back in 2018, however, he completed 67.9 percent of his pass attempts for 3,395 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. He also racked up 488 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.

If the Patriots were to sign Newton, they would be getting a legitimate dual-threat quarterback. They haven’t had that with Belichick at the helm. New England would be wise to bring Newton in and build an offense around him.

Expect to hear more news and rumors about Newton in the near future. The Patriots certainly seem to be a logical landing spot for him.