If Cam Newton is looking for the smoothest transition possible, perhaps he’ll consider taking his talents to upstate New York.
Newton still is a free agent after being released by the Carolina Panthers in late March. A starting job probably is out of the question for the 31-year-old at this point, but as long as he’s healthy, he would be an above-average backup option. And considering all of the uncertainty surrounding the NFL as the 2020 season approaches, having quality depth could be more critical than usual.
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NFL analyst Peter Schrager, for one, likes the idea of Newton playing second fiddle to Josh Allen in Buffalo. There are plenty of familiar faces within the Bills organization for Newton — including head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane — which could be enticing for a team looking to lock down a solid insurance plan.
“Cam Newton can walk right into that locker room and it’s not like, ‘Who’s this new guy trying to get attention?’ Or, ‘Who’s this new guy upsetting the applecart?'” Schrager said Monday on NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football.” “About half the guys on the roster already know Cam Newton because they played with him in Carolina when he was the MVP and the leader of the team. They’d embrace and love him, including the head coach, including the general manager. Josh Allen’s your starting quarterback. We get it. We have no idea how this 2020 season is going to be going and if you’re even talking about scenarios where you want to have a backup on hold just in case something wild happens health-related with your starter and he had to miss some time, Cam Newton is the ideal guy to put on that roster and put in that lineup. So I’m saying the Buffalo Bills. I’m throwing a dart at a dartboard, and I think Buffalo makes a lot of sense.”
Allen likely could benefit from sharing a quarterback room with Newton, too. The young, dual-threat QB has plenty of upside, but his game still needs a fair amount of polishing. Newton theoretically could aid Allen in his development, so as long as he’s open to a mentor role.
