If there is anyone who knows how good Cam Newton can be, its Greg Van Roten.
Van Roten wasn’t in Carolina for Newton’s MVP season and march to the Super Bowl in 2015, but the Jets offensive lineman learned firsthand how dangerous Newton can be while him protecting the last three years. The two are no longer teammates, but are set to see plenty of each other this upcoming season with Newton now residing in New England.
With Newton signing a one-year deal to presumably be the Patriots’ starting quarterback, the rest of the NFL has been put on notice. Since Newton signed with the Patriots, the AFC East odds have shifted back to favoring New England’s, as many, including Van Roten himself, believe a combination of Bill Belichick’s coaching genius and Newton’s talent could spell trouble for the rest of the division.
“It’s definitely terrifying to think if Cam Newton’s healthy and he’s in Belichick’s offense, you know, in my division, it could be a long year for the other teams, because he’s a game-changer,” Van Roten said while appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio on Saturday. “He came into the league, you know, he’s a league MVP, brought a team to the Super Bowl — he’s just built differently than a lot of quarterbacks. And he’s a headache to game plan for.”
When healthy, Newton has proven he can be one of the best quarterbacks in football. However, injury concerns caused him to linger in free agency long enough for the Patriots to sign him. Newton missed 14 games in 2019 due to a Lisfranc injury in his foot and underwent season-ending surgery. His throwing shoulder is not what it used to be either, as he is still dealing with the ill effects of a torn rotator cuff suffered in 2017.
With those injuries, Newton bet on himself by taking a one-year, prove-it deal thin on guaranteed money with New England. Belichick, meanwhile, is betting on Newton’s ability to return to form as one of the most feared dual-threat quarterbacks in football.
The Patriots seemed down and out following Tom Brady’s departure, but Belichick has flipped the script on his opponents. In years past, New England would get by on Brady’s football I.Q. and ability to make the right read in the blink of an eye. Now, teams around the league have to account for two different elements when attempting to stop the 31-year-old Newton — his legs and his arm. As Van Roten put it, it’s terrifying to pondering what Belichick and Newton could accomplish together in 2020.
“So when he’s healthy, you can stop the run from him, but then you gotta defend the pass,” Van Roten said. “If you can stop the pass, well then you’ve got to account for the run. So, it’s basically, pick one thing and he’ll do the other. And then you couple him with Belichick, who only cares about winning and Cam really wants to prove himself, so it’s definitely a recipe for disaster for the rest of the league if they can figure it out.”