NFL Offseason: Where Will Cam Newton and Jameis Winston End Up?
With this year of Free Agency filled with quarterback movement, there are still two very serviceable quarterbacks out on the market. The first quarterback I will mention is Jameis Winston. For Winston, it wasn’t a matter of throwing talent or arm strength but rather his decision making. In 2019, Winston threw for 33 touchdowns and led the league with 5,109 yards, but also threw a whopping 30 interceptions which also led the league. The other quarterback that is still available is Cam Newton. When Newton is healthy, he can be one of the best in the game, but his inability to do that has cost him on the field and also has left him without a job. In 2019, Newton appeared in only two games (lost both). What is encouraging about Newton is that the last time Newton was healthy was 2018, where he went 6-2 before his shoulder started to plague his season. With the future for these two quarterback’s unknown, let’s take a look at two of the most intriguing teams that may be interested in these quarterbacks.
New England Patriots
The football world turned upside down when Tom Brady announced he was leaving the Patriots, and again when he later signed a deal with the Buccaneers. While groundbreaking, it was bound to happen at some point. With that being said, New England needs a quarterback, unless they are handing the keys to Jarrett Stidham, who has done close to nothing at the NFL level but is still only 23 years old. The big question remains: do the Patriots believe Stidham can grow enough that New England can still win? If not, I think Cam Newton would be an extremely good fit here. With already almost a decade of experience, Newton is a good veteran mind to have under center. He also takes care of the ball a lot more than Winston. As for Winston, I do not feel that he would fit New England’s system. The Patriots have more of an intermediate and short passing game where they prevent turnovers. Winston wants to let the ball fly, and is obviously prone to turning it over. Before training camp starts, don’t be surprised if Cam Newton is under center in New England.
Pittsburgh Steelers
It may seem a little far-fetched, but I don’t see why one of these guys going to the Steelers is a bad move. It makes more sense for Winston than Newton because Winston is still young. With Big Ben under center for the Steelers, it is hard to imagine either of these guys starting, but a year on the bench may not be the worst thing for the ex-Buccaneer. With the unknown of Big Ben’s health and how many years he has left, Winston may be handed the keys to a team with a great organization and a coach who has proved he can make something out of nothing with Big Ben being injured in 2019. Neither Devlin Hodges nor Mason Rudolph is the answer for after Big Ben, so why not Winston? For Newton, who is already 30 years old, a year on the bench isn’t helping him or a team at this point. Cam needs to start, which is why this wouldn’t be a good fit for him.
The Best of the Rest
Besides these two teams, there are numerous teams that have their eyes set on these two guys. The Jaguars, who have Gardner Minshew at QB, maybe looking for a better answer. Both quarterbacks would fit here, but do you really want to resurrect your career with a crumbling organization?
Another option would be the Denver Broncos. Yes, Drew Lock will be the obvious starter after how he looked in the last four games, but the jury is still out on him. Maybe he struggles and you put in a veteran QB like Newton or Winston and give Lock more time, or even move on from him if it gets to that point. The Chargers have a QB dilemma also. Will they draft a young QB? Or will they go with a veteran? They have Tyrod Taylor, who is a solid quarterback, but you never know.
My Prediction
I can’t picture either of these guys landing a starting job. There are just no clear-cut options except for New England, and right now the Patriots don’t seem too interested in either quarterback. You may see both of them as a backup for a good team, but there is a good chance you don’t see them in an NFL uniform at all.
Statistics according to profootballreference.com
Transactions according to nfl.com
Writer