The Panthers were busy on Tuesday, to put it mildly. We learned Cam Newton is being allowed to seek a trade – a development which he was apparently blindsided by. If that wasn’t shocking enough, the team is also finalizing terms with former Saints quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.
Whether Carolina finds a willing trade partner for Newton or they just release him, we can now rest assured that he won’t be back in 2020 and Bridgewater is projected to be the team’s new starting quarterback.
To help us sort through all of this, we collected takes from our entire team here at Panthers Wire.
In a sensible world, as long as Cam was prepared to suit up without an extension, the Panthers would’ve allowed the most valuable player in their organization’s history to play out what could’ve been a prove-it deal in 2020. If Newton returned to form, they’d still have their franchise quarterback and would then just need to extend him. If he didn’t bounce back, then you walk away scot-free and move on. But it doesn’t seem as if we’re currently living in a sensible world, does it? Now, they opt for Bridgewater, who is a fine player.
The three-year commitment at $21 million a pop, however, screams of a team that isn’t, at all, steadfast in their new approach. Do you want to rebuild and aim for a younger, more promising option at the position or, as this move would indicate, are you fine with mediocrity and a guy that likely won’t put you over the top? And if health issues were really the major concern for Carolina when it came to Cam, well, their new starting quarterback sustained perhaps the most gruesome injury in the sport’s history just three years ago, one that literally left his knee hanging by a single ligament.
This has certainly been one of the most unique situations we’ve seen in Carolina and unfortunately, the team didn’t handle it well with Newton. As for Bridgewater, $21 million a year for three years is not a bad deal at all, especially when you look at other contracts this offseason (including $25 million for Philip Rivers and $29+ million a year for Ryan Tannehill).
It gives the Panthers more financial flexibility. With the salary cap set to explode in 2021, the team will still have plenty of room when the Matt Rhule rebuild/retool era enters year two. This also doesn’t preclude them from taking a QB early in the draft, as they bought more time to develop him. Instead of one year behind Newton, the rookie could spent two years max behind Bridgewater.
It may not have been the smoothest transition, but at least the Panthers now have some sort of plan for the forseeable future.
It’s a tough pill to swallow, as Cam Newton has personally been one of my favorite Panthers of all time next to Luke Kuechly. However, in this new era of Panther football, I do think trading Cam is what is best for the team going forward. Let’s get one thing straight. Newton is not a realistic fit in Joe Brady’s offense no matter how much we want him to be. Brady’s offense is all about finding a quarterback who can make quick reads and get the ball out fast and accurately.
We all know how much Newton has struggled with hitting slants, drags, or curls and going through his progressions over the course of his career. Bridgewater is a much more efficient and accurate passer who demonstrated that he can be a rock-solid quarterback this past season when Drew Brees missed some time with a thumb injury. Also, after operating in a New Orleans offense that is much like Brady’s, Bridgewater is already familiar with the playbook and will be able to hit the ground running.
As far as the contract side of things, I think it’s an A+ for the Panthers. They get a quality starting quarterback who could blossom into a top-10 QB in Brady’s system on a team-friendly deal. Now, let’s see what Carolina gets in return for Cam before we make a final judgment.
For many fans, they never thought they would see the day that Cam Newton would be forced out of Carolina. The former league MVP and face of the franchise was never given the proper support from the Panthers during his run at QB, nor at any point during this offseason.
There was never any reassurance that the Panthers wanted to move forward with Newton as their starting quarterback. It seemed like most fans remained optimistic about Newton remaining in Carolina but this was always a possibility given his history of injuries and going into the last year of his contract. The main issue with this Newton situation is the Panthers will likely not receive any draft picks via trade. Most likely, they will have to settle with releasing Newton and saving cap space after offering Teddy Bridgewater a three-year, $63 million dollar contract.
The Panthers will have to convince fans that what they’re doing makes sense because many are confused about the direction of the team right now.
The Panthers’ handling of the roster in the past few weeks has sent mixed signals about the team’s future and sense of direction.
The team started by releasing tight end Greg Olsen, then traded Trai Turner – the only notable guard on the roster – for left tackle Russell Okung. They let James Bradberry, the only serviceable corner from last year, walk to the Giants and defensive end Mario Addison do the same to Buffalo. Former Browns’ Safety Juston Burris and Vikings’ defensive lineman Stephen Weatherly may add defensive depth, but they will not replace any of the starters they’ve lost.
Now the team is announcing their goodbyes to franchise star Cam Newton. One might assume the team had their eyes on Clemson phenom Trevor Lawrence, but only moments later it came out that they’re finalizing a contract with journeyman quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.
It’s clear the team is tiptoeing the line between a retool and a total rebuild. But with a league-leading $29.5 million in dead cap with more to come in the next few days, a plethora of holes on the roster and only seven draft picks to show for it, it’s worth asking if the team even has an idea of what they are doing going forward.
It’s difficult to separate the Teddy Bridgewater transaction from the way Cam Newton was mismanaged the last few years and is now unceremoniously being shown the door. Newton deserved better. However, we have to try to judge the Bridgewater signing on its own merits.
I like Teddy and think he’s a good fit for this team, even suggesting him as a potential free agent target over the last two offseasons – albeit with the idea for him to be Newton’s backup. It made sense with Norv and Scott Turner running the show and it makes sense now with Joe Brady calling the plays. Bridgewater’s familiarity with Brady’s scheme will help ease the transition. The price is also a reasonable one for Bridgewater’s talents. $21 million a year for a solid starter is agreeable enough, considering Patrick Mahomes will soon be commanding double that.
All that being said, this is a step backwards at QB. The Panthers will miss Newton’s ability to extend plays with his legs. Bridgewater is not nearly as mobile and defenses won’t have to account for him as anywhere near the rushing threat Cam is. He also can’t match Newton’s arm strength or willingness to take shots down the field.
Bridgewater is an effective game manager – one of the best in the league right now. He’s just not as aggressive, dynamic or capable of carrying a team the way Newton can when he’s healthy.
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