Cam Newton is still yet to find NFL employment three months after his eight-year stay as a Carolina Panther reached its end, with many wondering where such a potentially valuable asset will play football in 2020.
The New England Patriots have been and remain the outright favorites to sign Newton as a quarterback upgrade, listed as +300 (4.00) frontrunners to recruit the star with DraftKings and other majority of NJ operators. The odds rise sharply after that, with the Arizona Cardinals, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans and Washington Redskins each neck and neck at +800 (9.00) for punters in New Jersey.
A move to Foxborough, Massachusetts, makes sense for Newton, 31, on paper after the Patriots saw legendary QB Tom Brady (and Rob Gronkowski) leave for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this off-season. Head coach and general manager Bill Belichick has Brian Hoyer and Jarrett Stidham as senior playmaker options, neither of whom possess anywhere near the same promise as Newton.
But the mega-star could be deemed too pricey for Belichick’s tastes, with value to be had further down the list if the Pats do pass up on his signature.
Links with the Redskins are inevitably strong given Newton’s former Carolina coach, Ron Rivera, traded Carolina for a move to Washington earlier in 2020. However, all signs thus far suggest the franchise will entrust their no. 1 spot to last year’s first-round pick, Dwayne Haskins, alongside veteran Alex Smith and Kyle Allen, who already followed Rivera from the Panthers this year.
The Cardinals also look like a fine pick in DraftKings’ estimations, but a lot depends on whether Newton is prepared to battle for starting honors after Arizona star Kyler Murray was named 2019 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Murray is unlikely to ride the bench despite Newton’s shaky injury record of the past two years, and it’s equally uncertain as to whether the elder talisman is prepared to settle for anything other than the top spot in a new team.
Prediction: The coronavirus pandemic hurt football’s economy and means 2015 MVP Newton could have to wait until a player gets injured before a team makes their move for his services. That being said, the Arizona Cardinals may have the best setup and salary cap space required (just about) to bring in Newton as a tried-and-tested mentor and competition for rising star Murray.
Cam Newton: Next NFL Team Odds:
New England Patriots: +300
Arizona Cardinals: +800
Pittsburgh Steelers: +800
Tennessee Titans: +800
Washington Redskins: +800
Baltimore Ravens: +900
Los Angeles Rams: +1000
Seattle Seahawks: +1000
Denver Broncos: +1200
Detroit Lions: +1200
Jacksonville Jaguars: +1200
Buffalo Bills: +1400
Chicago Bears: +1600
Atlanta Falcons: +2000
Minnesota Vikings: +2000
Los Angeles Chargers: +2500
San Francisco 49ers: +2500
New York Giants: +3000
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: +3000
Houston Texans: +3300
Cincinatti Bengals: +5000
Miami Dolphins: +5000
Carolina Panthers: +10000
Cleveland Browns: +10000
Dallas Cowboys: +10000
Green Bay Packers: +10000
Indianapolis Colts: +10000
New Orleans Saints: +10000
New York Jets: +10000
Philadelphia Eagles: +10000
Odds via DraftKings.
Photo by Dave Adamson on Unsplash
