Report: Patriots Don't Have 'Any Immediate Interest' in QB Cam Newton
One big name that got dropped into the free agency pool on Tuesday was Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton. As the team that drafted him with the No. 1 overall pick back in 2011, the Panthers parted ways with Newton, who had one-year left on his five-year, $103 million contract. He is now free to sign with any team that he chooses. If he has a choice, that is.
Everyone knows what Cam Newton can do when fully healthy. His ceiling is what we saw in 2015 when he was the NFL's MVP and made a Super Bowl appearance. But his floor is what we saw last season, when he missed 14 games due to injury. At 30 years old, Newton's best days are behind him, and some question whether he can stay healthy enough to be a reliable starting QB moving forward, which is exactly why Carolina cut ties with him.
It just so happens that the Patriots are in need of a starting quarterback, in case you didn't that already. So, some people thought that New England giving Newton a shot had to - at least - been shortly discussed by Patriots brass. However, there is no "immediate interest" by the Patriots to sign Newton, according to Jeff Howe of The Athletic.
The Patriots have no interest in acquiring a large contract this season, mainly because they actually can't afford to do it. They have roughly $3 million in available cap space as of Tuesday afternoon, and backloading a big contract - which is something that a player like Newton will want - will eat into the large amount of salary cap space they will have in 2021. Add on Newton's inconsistencies over the past several seasons, and that's a recipe for failure.
New England should steer clear of Newton. And it appears they may be of the same mindset.
