Watch: Thomas Davis talks about Cam Newton and David Tepper’s disconnect

Cam Newton and the Panthers don’t appear to be on the same page.

Cam Newton and the Panthers don’t appear to be on the same page. Shortly before Super Bowl LIV, Newton told the media he was absolutely sure he would return to Carolina. Problem is, the guy cutting the checks doesn’t seem so sure. Team owner David Tepper made waves on Tuesday when he was asked about Newton’s status and replied that it depends on his health.

Watch former Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis give his take on the situation on NFL Network.

Davis has it right and players should always do what’s best for their careers and try to maximize their value.

Fans who are anxious about Newton’s future should remember one simple, clarifying fact: when Cam is healthy he’s one of the top 10 quarterbacks in this league and he proved that as recently as the first half of 2018. His throwing shoulder has now had plenty of time to completely heal and the Lisfranc shouldn’t be an issue this year.

They might not be willing to say it publicly, but the Panthers know how valuable Cam Newton is when he’s truly Cam Newton.

For his part, all along Newton has maintained that he wants to stay in Charlotte and continue his career with the Panthers. During the same radio row spots, Newton said the thought of leaving never even entered his mind.

The only real question here is if Tepper, Marty Hurney and Matt Rhule believe they’ll get more value moving on from Newton and embracing the total rebuild that seems to be underway.

If they’re going to pull that off, they’d have to have a new franchise QB in mind. At the moment, they’re slated to pick at No. 7 in the draft. That should put the top two players at the position (Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa) just out of reach. Few prospects are guaranteed to suceed at the next level. Burrow and Tua definitely seem capable of becoming franchise QBs in the NFL. The same can’t be said for anyone else in this class and Carolina doesn’t have the assets to move up into the top three in any case.

The x-factor might be how they feel about Justin Herbert, who has tantalizing upside but is also very raw. He could be in play at No. 7. Gambling on Herbert or another potential project QB seems like a bad idea when there’s a former league MVP already on the roster, though.

Moving on from Cam only makes sense if they can get a definitively positive return. At this point, trading him would probably only net a third-round pick. If they believe they can get more, it’s worth considering given Newton’s age and the number of roster holes they have to fill.

However, it’s not difficult to imagine Bill Belichick trading a third for Cam and them winning the next three Super Bowls together. That would be a terrible look for the Panthers. Cutting Cam would save a fair chunk of cap space. It would also throw a huge question mark over the most important position and there’s already too many of those going around.

There’s something to be said for starting fresh and embracing the rebuild, but this really doesn’t seem that complicated. If Newton looks anything remotely like his old self the next time he practices, it makes more sense to keep him and continue the reboot with Newton as the centerpiece.

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