{"id":100671,"date":"2020-12-27T08:42:20","date_gmt":"2020-12-27T13:42:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=100671"},"modified":"2021-03-12T19:55:52","modified_gmt":"2021-03-13T00:55:52","slug":"four-things-cam-newton-starting-means-for-new-england-patriots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2020\/12\/27\/four-things-cam-newton-starting-means-for-new-england-patriots\/","title":{"rendered":"Four Things Cam Newton Starting Means for New England Patriots"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/nfl-teams2\/patriots\/\" target=\"_self\">New England Patriots<\/a> are officially eliminated from the playoffs, yet <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/search\/search.fcgi?pid=NewtCa00,NewtCa20&amp;search=Cam+Newton&amp;utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Cam Newton<\/a><\/strong> remains the starting quarterback. While some speculated that <strong>Bill Belichick<\/strong> could turn the keys over to <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/S\/StidJa00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jarrett Stidham<\/a><\/strong> for the remainder of the season, that <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JFowlerESPN\/status\/1342975948027789312?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">apparently won\u2019t be the case<\/a>. Barring a last-second change, Newton will be under center on Sunday, and this move has some long-standing ramifications for the New England Patriots.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Patriots?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#Patriots<\/a> QB Cam Newton is expected to start against the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Bills?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#Bills<\/a> on Monday Night Football, per source. Despite some questions about Jarrett Stidham this week, Newton is slated to start barring a late change.<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JFowlerESPN\/status\/1342975948027789312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">December 26, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h2>What Cam Newton Starting Means for New England Patriots<\/h2>\n<h4>1. Jarrett Stidham Isn\u2019t It<\/h4>\n<p>After the New England Patriots lost <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/B\/BradTo00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tom Brady<\/a><\/strong> in free agency and didn\u2019t address the quarterback position in the NFL Draft, most assumed that Jarrett Stidham would be the heir apparent to Brady\u2019s throne. The former fourth-round pick played well in the 2019 preseason, but only had four NFL passes to his name. Nobody knew what to expect, although the apparent organizational confidence in the rookie made some believe that he could succeed as a starting quarterback.<\/p>\n<p>However, everything that has happened since the 2020 NFL Draft heavily suggests that Stidham doesn\u2019t have the making of a franchise quarterback. Newton immediately beat him out upon signing, which wasn\u2019t all that surprising. What was surprising, however, was <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/H\/HoyeBr00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Brian Hoyer<\/a><\/strong> beating Stidham for the backup job.<\/p>\n<p>While Stidham eventually earned the backup spot over Hoyer, he\u2019s been pretty terrible when on the field. We\u2019re obviously dealing with a small sample here, but if he had enough snaps to qualify, Stidham would rank dead last in PFF grade, EPA\/play, passer rating, and QBR. All signs point towards him being a bad quarterback, and the decision to not start him is just the final nail in the coffin.<\/p>\n<h4>2. Cam Newton Will Be Back<\/h4>\n<p>Even if you\u2019re 99.99% sure that Jarrett Stidham is not the long-term answer under center, he\u2019d still be worth a shot if Cam Newton wasn\u2019t in the long-term plans. Newton is on a one-year deal, and his recent level of play hasn\u2019t inspired too much confidence. Since Week 12, Newton is at or near the bottom of just about every meaningful statistic.<\/p>\n<p>While he probably won\u2019t ever approach his former MVP glory again, it\u2019s worth noting that Newton has had some high moments throughout the year. As is the case with most of his seasons, Newton has been a highly-volatile quarterback that averages out to a top-20 or so passer. There is some value in someone like that, even if it\u2019s only as a bridge quarterback.<\/p>\n<p>If Belichick blames most of Newton\u2019s struggles on the terrible supporting cast, then perhaps he could bring him back on another cheap deal. New England has tons of cap space and could easily upgrade the weapons to give Newton a fighting chance in 2021.<\/p>\n<h4>3. No Better Veterans in 2021<\/h4>\n<p>Sticking with Newton clearly means that Bill Belichick isn\u2019t interested in any of the potential veteran options in 2021. Right now, the biggest quarterbacks set to hit the market are <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/P\/PresDa01.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dak Prescott<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/W\/WinsJa00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jameis Winston<\/a><\/strong>, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/R\/RivePh00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Philip Rivers<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/F\/FitzRy00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ryan Fitzpatrick<\/a>, <\/strong>and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/D\/DaltAn00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Andy Dalton<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Prescott is clearly better than Newton, but it\u2019s hard to imagine a world where the Cowboys actually let him hit the open market. Winston could be an upgrade, but New England\u2019s front office chose Newton over Winston last year, and nothing has happened to change that evaluation. Rivers and Fitzpatrick have both played well this season, but both are in their late 30\u2019s and close to falling off of that dreaded cliff. Dalton, meanwhile, has played worse than Newton in a more favorable situation.<\/p>\n<p>With no intriguing free agents, the Patriots could decide to look for a trade partner. Right now, the most likely trade candidates are <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/W\/WentCa00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Carson Wentz<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/G\/GaroJi00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jimmy Garoppolo<\/a><\/strong>, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/D\/DarnSa00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sam Darnold<\/a>, <\/strong>and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/S\/StafMa00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Matthew Stafford<\/a><\/strong>. I\u2019ve <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2020\/12\/10\/carson-wentz-new-england-patriots-no-sense\/\" target=\"_self\">already described why Wentz<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2020\/12\/14\/new-england-patriots-2021-quarterback-targets-sam-darnold\/\" target=\"_self\">Darnold are terrible options<\/a>, and Garoppolo is nothing more than a lateral move. Stafford is better than Newton, but the Patriots would have to give up a lot to get a 32-year old franchise quarterback, and the Lions might not want to sell at any price.<\/p>\n<h4>4. The NFL Draft Holds the Future<\/h4>\n<p>Cam Newton is probably the best option the Patriots can get in 2021, but that doesn\u2019t mean he\u2019s going to be under center for the next decade. The 2020 NFL Draft is considered to be a good one for quarterbacks, and the Patriots should be in position to grab one with one of their first two picks.<\/p>\n<p>For the sake of argument, let\u2019s assume that the Patriots have no realistic way of getting <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2020\/11\/11\/if-trevor-lawrence-spurns-the-new-york-jets-whats-next\/\" target=\"_self\">Trevor Lawrence<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2020\/12\/26\/options-for-the-new-york-jets-after-losing-the-first-pick\/\" target=\"_self\">Justin Fields<\/a><\/strong>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2020\/12\/26\/chicago-bears-jim-harbaugh-matt-nagy\/\" target=\"_self\"><strong>Zach Wilson<\/strong><\/a>. These three will probably be the first three quarterbacks off the board and gone within the first five picks. New England will probably end up somewhere near the 15<sup>th<\/sup> overall pick, so they\u2019d need to move heaven and earth to select any of them.<\/p>\n<p>This still leaves the Patriots with three intriguing prospects in <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2020\/02\/19\/trey-adams-2020-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_self\">Trey Lance<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2020\/12\/24\/dak-prescott-amari-cooper-ezekiel-elliott-why-its-not-so-bad-in-big-d\/\" target=\"_self\">Kyle Trask<\/a>, <\/strong>and <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2020\/11\/10\/dante-pettis-adds-another-weapon-for-daniel-jones\/\" target=\"_self\"><strong>Mac Jones<\/strong><\/a>. Lance is essentially a poor mans\u2019 version of young Cam Newton, as the 6\u2019-4\u201d, 227-pound quarterback is a fantastic battering ram with a rocket arm and accuracy concerns. Trask isn\u2019t the best athlete and doesn\u2019t have the largest sample, but he\u2019s a good downfield thrower that has played well with an underwhelming supporting cast. Jones, meanwhile, is lethally precise in the short portion of the field but doesn\u2019t have the cannon to consistently stretch the defense.<\/p>\n<p>All of these players have the potential to be a franchise quarterback, but all would benefit from a year on the bench. The best plan of action for the 2021 Patriots is to have Cam Newton starting until one of the other aforementioned quarterbacks is ready to take over.<\/p>\n<p>Main photo:<br \/>\n<a id=\"mkW5ld2ATpxu_n6XBLOiYA\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1292335827\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'mkW5ld2ATpxu_n6XBLOiYA',sig:'vROo43LP85aIwkU1gu-EPfmoNMwTUb9_h9_bBE5Jx1o=',w:'594px',h:'384px',items:'1292335827',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Despite being out of the playoff race, the New England Patriots will keep Cam Newton as their starting quarterback over Jarrett Stidham.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2376,"featured_media":100673,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[367,302,4068,6990,6253,7311,1535,6249,7059,7201],"class_list":["post-100671","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-patriots","tag-cam-newton","tag-dak-prescott","tag-jarrett-stidham","tag-justin-fields","tag-kyle-trask","tag-new-england-patriots-roster","tag-sam-darnold","tag-trevor-lawrence","tag-trey-lance","tag-zach-wilson"],"modified_by":"David Latham, Managing Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100671","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2376"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=100671"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100671\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/100673"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=100671"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=100671"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=100671"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}