New England Patriots New Favorite To Land QB Cam Newton

Head coach Bill Belichick didn’t select a quarterback in the 2020 NFL Draft. Does this mean that the Patriots will try to get Cam Newton?

Newton is the most notable free-agent quarterback on the market. He may be the Patriots’ next target now that Tom Brady is gone.

“If we feel like we find the right situation, we’ll certainly draft them. We’ve drafted them in multiple years, multiple points in the draft,” Coach B said. “Didn’t work out the last three days. That wasn’t by design. We just tried to do the best we could with what we had this weekend.”

Sportsline considers the New England Patriots (+250) the new favorites to sign Newton. The Jacksonville Jaguars come right after them (+350). They are followed by Denver Broncos (+600) and Pittsburgh Steelers (+800). ESPN NFL analysts Marcus Spears and Dan Orlovsky mentioned the Jaguars and the Steelers as favorites.

“With some of these states lifting these quarantine issues, he may be able to get a physical somewhere, eventually,” Spears explained. “If you look at landing spots, Jacksonville is one of those teams. He played at Florida, not too far form Jacksonville and I think Cam could go into training camp with an opportunity to be the starter if he’s fully healthy.”

Will the Patriots get Cam Newton?

Orlovsky would rather choose another AFC team.

“Big Ben has played all 16 games of a season four times in his career, so the likelihood of getting on the field as a backup are pretty high,” he said. “If you’re Cam, go there and lower expectations on a one-year deal. What’s the right decision? Not the one you want, but what’s the right decision? (He can) get on the field, get himself healthy. You’ve got to find a place it’s likely you’ll get on the field, get the opportunity to play healthy and rebuild your career.”

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Newton doesn’t really have an option. He may end up being a backup quarterback after all.

“Jameis Winston had to modify his expectations and eventually came to the realization that New Orleans was the smartest place to place,” Schefter reported. “I don’t know where Cam is at. I don’t know if he has modified his expectations or if he must be a starting quarterback or must-have starting quarterback money. It’s a difficult situation right now. There’s a lot of different questions here. I don’t view it as there being an obvious landing spot for him right now.”

The Patriots have journeyman Brian Hoyer and second-year Jarret Stidham on the roster at the moment. Belichick likes both players, and he may go with them in September.