Three months after being released by the rebuilding Carolina Panthers, Cam Newton is headed to the New England Patriots. The 31-year-old quarterback and 2015 MVP reached agreement on a one-year deal with the Patriots, who moved on from Tom Brady this offseason.
Newton, who continues to rehab from December foot surgery, had a physical in Atlanta on March 23, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter. He passed the physical and is healthy, with both his right shoulder -- which he injured in 2018 -- and left foot "checking out well," a source told Schefter. Newton will compete with Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer for the starting job in New England.
What was the reaction inside the league to Newton's move to the Patriots? Is he locked in as their Week 1 starter? And are they the favorites -- again -- to win the AFC East? We asked 10 ESPN NFL reporters and analysts to answer 10 questions on the move:
Assuming Newton is healthy, do you expect him to be the Patriots' 2020 starter?
Mike Reiss, Patriots reporter: He won't be handed the job -- that's generally not the way it works in New England -- but he should be the odds-on favorite based on his résumé and big-game experience.
Bill Belichick often says it's up to players to determine their roles, and for Newton to win the job, his first step will be to immerse himself in the Patriots' hard-driving culture that requires players to check their egos at the door and put the team first. Then there will be an acclimation to new terminology in offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels' system. So there is no guarantee. But given how his career résumé stacks up against Stidham and Hoyer, it seems fair to say it's now Newton's job to lose.
Does this mean the Patriots don't like Stidham as much as we thought, or was this deal just too good to pass up?
Field Yates, NFL analyst: Here's my read: This is almost all about Newton and not nearly as much about Stidham. The two players certainly tie together, as the Patriots would likely have passed on Newton if it were a certainty that Stidham were bound for a prolonged career of high-level play. But there hadn't been any promises or assurances from the team to Stidham that the job was his, thus this is an opportunity to try to maximize the dynamic talent of Newton, as Belichick & Co. have done so many times before with other players. This deal was too good to pass up, particularly on a one-year pact.
What was the reaction to the news inside the league?
Jeremy Fowler, national NFL writer: A mix of surprise, validation and intrigue. Most execs and coaches expected the Patriots to add a veteran to compete with Stidham, but there was division about whether it would actually be Newton. Those who didn't expect this cited Newton's choppy recent play and lengthy injury history and the team's need to develop Stidham as convenient excuses to stay away. Others saw only one team desperate for a viable NFL starter: New England.
Now that the latter crew was right, it's all about what McDaniels does with him. "Will he adjust his scheme by incorporating what Cam likes [like Bruce Arians is doing with Brady]?" one NFC exec said. "Or will he make and expect Cam to play within the confines of his system? They are best served playing to his strengths."
Did Newton's market crater because of the coronavirus and questions about his health?
Dan Graziano, national NFL writer: Without a doubt, the questions about his health and the inability of teams to examine him in person because of coronavirus restrictions were the main reasons for the lack of a market. Anytime I've brought this up with front-office people over the past couple of months, they've all said the same thing: How can you sign him if you don't know how healthy he is?
Some worry about the shoulder, which he and the Panthers have said for more than a year is fine, and the bigger concern is the foot injury that knocked him out of basically the whole 2019 season. Cam's feet have obviously always been a big part of what makes him special, and teams weren't comfortable signing him without knowing how his ability to run might be affected in the short and long term.
Is New England the best possible landing spot for Newton?
Mina Kimes, NFL writer: It depends on when you're asking the question. Before the draft, I would have argued that the Chargers were a better landing spot, with superior weapons, a somewhat improved offensive line, and a great defense. But after Los Angeles grabbed Justin Herbert at No. 6 overall, that opportunity disappeared.
New England was the second-best choice. While the Patriots don't have a top-tier group of skill players, Newton will enjoy playing behind a good line for a brilliant offensive coordinator -- and can leverage a strong comeback season into a longer-term deal.
What should we expect from Newton this season in New England?
Mike Clay, fantasy writer: Assuming he's healthy, we should expect the same old Cam, though perhaps an even more efficient one in an offense led by Belichick and McDaniels. Remember, Newton is only 31 years old and missed a grand total of five games during his first eight seasons in the league. During that time, he can best be described as competent as a passer (7.3 yards per attempt while completing 60% of his passes) and elite as a rusher (he finished no lower than fourth among QBs in carries, rushing yards and rushing TDs during each of those eight seasons).
Keep in mind that the last time we saw a healthy Newton (2018), he had arguably his best season as a passer, completing what was easily a career-high 68% of his passes. Newton might not run as often as he did in his 20s, but he'll still be a two-way threat and likely an above-average starting quarterback.
Is there reason to be skeptical that Newton will return to his MVP form?
Matt Bowen, NFL analyst: The 2015 season was peak Cam Newton. He showed off elite athletic and physical traits, paired with his dynamic ability as both a runner and passer. Given his recent injuries, however, expecting an immediate return to his previous level of play is purely speculative at this point.
If Newton is healthy and playing the No. 1 role in New England, I would anticipate a game plan that features multiple tight ends with a run/play-action mix to give him more middle-of-the-field throws, plus the QB run concepts that will create an edge for the Patriots in specific game situations.
How do the Patriots' offensive weapons compare to what Newton had in Carolina?
Seth Walder, sports analytics writer: They're worse. DJ Moore is a better receiver than anyone in New England. Despite having worse quarterbacks throwing to him, Moore's catch percentage over expectation the past two seasons was more than 5 points higher than Julian Edelman's, per NFL Next Gen Stats. And Moore's targets were on deeper targets, so they were more valuable, as well. Mohamed Sanu vs. Curtis Samuel is probably close to a wash. In addition, Christian McCaffrey is a better receiving threat than the consortium of Patriots backs.
Before this move, the Bills were the favorites to win the AFC East. Should they still be?
Marcel Louis-Jacques, Bills reporter: Yes, but their margin for error certainly shrunk. Newton's addition makes the Patriots more formidable than before on paper, but there are far fewer questions surrounding the Bills' roster at this point. Both teams have difficult schedules in 2020, but Buffalo returns 10 starters from a top-three scoring defense and presumably improved its most notable weakness on offense by trading for Stefon Diggs. Barring disaster, the Bills should still win the AFC East, but the gap has narrowed.
Is the Patriots' defense good enough to make them legit playoff (or even Super Bowl) contenders?
Aaron Schatz, editor of Football Outsiders: Legit playoff contenders, yes. Top Super Bowl contenders, don't be too sure. The Patriots' 2020 defense is not their defense from last season. Defense is simply less consistent than offense from year to year. The past 10 defenses to finish No. 1 in Football Outsiders' DVOA ratings ranked on average ninth the following season.
Two specific issues suggest the Patriots could fall back even more than the usual top defense does: They were heavily dependent on interceptions last season, and that will regress toward the mean. Plus, they lost a lot of talent in free agency, led by Kyle Van Noy and Jamie Collins.