Cam, Cam, Cam!

This is an under the radar situation that I expect to get hotter shortly. Could the Washington Redskins find their best quarterback option where they found their head coach?

I wondered about this. I didn't have the guts to really go hard with it. That's my fault. 

I should have. It makes a lot of common sense.

Could Cam Newton be heading to D.C. in short order? 

Wait! What? Yes, that Cam Newton who was never right last year medically and his injury as much as anything, led to the demise of his for now, former head coach Ron Rivera. 

Here's the deal: 

Per Matthew Berry of ESPN, who normally doesn't break any NFL news but I know is connected in the NFL world, he wrote two things that jumped out to me in his most recent column. 

1. "While all the public reports stated how much the Panthers are behind Cam Newton this season, I'm not so sure. The sense I got was that they don't want to just give him away, but if a team made a reasonable offer for him, he'd be dealt," Berry wrote. 

"Right now, they (Carolina) want to get him healthy and see what they are dealing with, but despite all the love being thrown Cam's way publicly during combine week, insiders I spoke to think it's less of a sure thing that Newton is the Panthers' starting QB this season."

So essentially you have a rumor or speculation that Cam might not be back in Carolina, despite what the Panthers new head coach said recently. 

How many times do we have to mention this: What coaches, players and executives say on camera or on the record is OFTEN very different than how they truly feel. 

Yet, gullible media almost always slurps it up and files it away, even when it doesn't make sense. 

This is a Redskins portal and channel, so obviously the reason I bring this up is because of what Berry, a Redskins fan, wrote next: 

2. Berry opined: "It was also noted, more than once, by folks in both Carolina and Washington, that if Newton was somehow available, Ron Rivera absolutely loves Cam. Loves him."

I've heard the same on both fronts. This should not be surprising. Newton and Rivera were very successful together for the most part in Carolina. 

OK so here's the deal: In order for anything to happen here, a trade would very likely have to be made unless  Carolina releases Newton at some point. 

They could do that and save $19.1 million with a $2 million dead cap hit, per OverTheCap.com. 

If they want the cap savings and are truly committed to another direction - this would make all the sense for them. 

At that point, Cam Newton would be free to sign a deal with anyone. 

Does anybody know of a team that needs a veteran quarterback to start/challenge/push/scare a certain rookie-plus QB, who they are far from completely sold on? 

Hmmm. 

If Newton is released prior to the league year (that's the most likely date), the Redskins could offer Newton a two or three-year deal with a lower than normal signing bonus but guaranteed base salaries in 2021 and possibly 2022. 

As we've explained in the rumored Philip Rivers pursuit - this is the most likely way the Redskins would have to structure a veteran quarterback contract to avoid spending an exorbitant sum on quarterbacks in 2020. 

Also, next year, they would be able to shave about 18.75 of base salary and cap space off the books by releasing Alex Smith or if he retires (more likely), along with the $20.75 million his contract calls for in non-guaranteed base salary in 2022. 

Washington would be stuck with a $10.8 million dead cap hit unless it was a post June 1st designated cut, in which case they could absorb about half of that in 2021 and half in 2022. 

It was a terrible contract they gave to Smith, because even if he stayed healthy, there was almost no chance he would play up to the value of it and barring a miracle, they have to continue to gag on it. 

Still, a potential three-year deal worth in the neighborhood of $70 million for Newton might work, with large guaranteed base figures in 2021 and 2022, a smaller signing bonus than is normal, spread out over three years, and a $5-7 million dollar cap hit arrangement in 2020 could be the ticket.

No idea if this will happen, but I would be happier with this arrangement than taking Tua Tagovailoa with the No. 2 overall pick. 

Chris Russell is the Publisher of RedskinsReport.com & Sports Illustrated's Washington Redskins channel. He can be heard on 106.7 The FAN in the Washington D.C. area and world-wide on Radio.com. Chris also hosts the "Locked on Redskins" Podcast and can be read via subscription to Warpath Magazine. You can e-mail Chris at russellmania09@Gmail.com or follow him on Twitter at @Russellmania621.