Could the Chargers starting quarterback in 2020 be Cam Newton?
There’s some buzz that the Panthers could be moving on from the 30-year old as a part of their rebuild with their new head coach, Matt Rhule.
Should Carolina elect to release or trade Newton, Los Angeles might see this as a perfect opportunity to acquire him.
Here is the case for and against the Bolts bringing in Newton:
Case for
Newton, the No. 1 overall selection of the 2011 NFL Draft, has a polished resume. He is a three-time Pro Bowler with a league MVP, Offensive Player of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year. He has led the Panthers to the Super Bowl during the 2015 campaign and the playoffs four times.
Newton, who only played two games in 2019, isn’t far removed from a solid campaign in 2018 when he completed 67.9 percent of his passes for 3,395 yards, 24 touchdowns and 13 interceptions while adding 488 yards and four scores on the ground.
In nine seasons, Newton has amassed 29,041 passing yards, 182 touchdowns. On the ground, he has compiled 4,806 yards and 58 touchdowns on 934 carries.
Newton would benefit from having wide receivers Keenan Allen, Mike Williams and tight end Hunter Henry to throw to, but he would finally add the unique element that coach Anthony Lynn has been wanting, giving the offense the ability to run option plays and keep defenses on their toes.
As the Bolts move into a brand-new stadium this year, Newton, who wants to be seen as an icon, would also supply some much-needed buzz with his stylish wardrobes during each post-game press conference.
Please please please let Cam Newton be healthy in 2020 and beyondpic.twitter.com/LH5V9396DW
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) February 18, 2020
Case against
Even though he is one of the more accomplished signal-callers in the league, Newton does come with some concern.
He suffered a foot injury during a 2019 preseason game, and after struggling through the first two games of the regular season, Newton missed the remainder of the campaign and was forced to get surgery. Prior to that, he had two injuries, including a shoulder injury that required surgery.
As a passer, Newton does struggle with accuracy. In his nine years in the league, the former Auburn product has thrown 108 interceptions and he has a completion percentage of 59.6. Lynn has boasted about needing to take care of the ball as a quarterback – which might be seen as a red flag with Newton.
Newton has also struggled with the deep ball. Over the past five seasons, he’s completed more than 28% of his throws of 20+ yards downfield only once, which came back in 2015 when he won the MVP award.
Bottom line
Many pundits see Newton and the Chargers as the perfect fit, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the front office and coaching staff does. Tyrod Taylor, who was signed to a two-year deal last offseason, could actually have been penciled in as the starter all along after the departure of Philip Rivers.
General manager Tom Telesco hasn’t been one to make big moves in the past and despite the opportunity to land the big fish in the pond, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him take the conservative route by drafting-and-developing whoever that is.
I still believe the Chargers should roll with Taylor and draft a rookie at No. 6. But acquiring Newton could pay huge dividends (assuming he’s healthy) by giving the Chargers a talented dual-threat quarterback who could quickly help them get back into contention, while adding some excitement to a team that’s desperately in need of it.