The New England Patriots seem like one of the last teams where Cam Newton could immediately compete for a starting job.
The Patriots and the Jacksonville Jaguars have an obvious need for a veteran quarterback. The Chicago Bears and Oakland Raiders could probably use more talent at their quarterback positions, too. But New England seems like an ideal landing spot for Newton, if only because the Patriots have a history of helping veterans rejuvenate their careers and Newton is a free agent after suffering a handful of injuries in recent years.
Still, former New England Patriots executive Michael Lombardi doesn’t see a deal coming together anytime soon.
“But the Patriots have a much better team around Stidham, which will help their chances of making him successful,” Lombardi wrote in a story for The Athletic. “Still, Stidham is an unproven fourth-round pick who is believed to be the potential starter and veteran Brian Hoyer as the backup. They also have little cap room. Most of their dead cap money lies with players not currently on the roster. From Tom Brady to Antonio Brown and Stephen Gostkowski, the Pats are in salary cap jail. They have two choices, either redo offensive guard Joe Thuney’s franchise deal or bite the bullet and wait until next season when they have upwards of almost $100 million of room.
“Still, if Newton’s medical and price tag aligns with the Patriots’ salary cap thinking, I would never rule them out as potential suitor. Newton could play well in New England. He would have to accept the structure and culture, but his love of football and his love of winning would allow him to adapt. However, the timing is not right: the Patriots don’t know his medicals and they don’t have starter money to pay.”
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