For all the reasons to re-sign Cam Newton, all the pros don't outweight the fact that Cam Newton doesn't get the ball to pass catchers. From poor decision making to vision, to the fact he cannot throw to them. Newton threw to his pass catchers' bubbles and also was throwing grounders to open pass catchers or sailing it over their heads.
Cam played with basement weapons but he didn't look like a top 32 quarterback, not did he look like a top 24 quarterback. Newton had someplace between the 27th and 29th pass catching unit. Depending on which ranking you went with majority of the rankings had Newton 27 to 32 starter in the league. In rare cases, some writers put Cam in the top 13 for click bait.
I did an article looking at Newton's accuracy and talking about how analysts said the tapes showed individual pass catchers were getting open a handful of times a game and he wouldn't see or would ignore them and that although he had a higher than normal completion percentage, that his completions were still inaccurate and that hurt pass catchers' development.
In that article I also looked at the catch and true catch rates of his receivers and tight ends. Good quarterbacks can elevate bad pass catchers and good pass catchers can elevate bad quarterbacks. Although the Patriots pass catchers struggled to get separation, it really looked like they elevated Cam.
Now don't get me wrong, bad players can also hurt good players. Newton failing to see or get the ball to open pass catchers hurt them and the team even more than the lack of separation hurt Newton.
Newton started 15 games and was one of the worst quarterbacks if not the worst starter for all 32 teams, in fact he might not even of been the 32nd best quarterback but people are saying that's not a fair chance. So if a season as starter is not a fair chance, what is? Three seasons, five seasons, a decade? 15 games is more than a fair chance when you're the starter.
Newton sucked as a passer and people cannot admit it. They blame everyone but him. At least 50% of the Patriots passing game struggles was from Newton's flaws.
He can run the ball but he cannot throw the ball anymore, at least not consistently. When running the ball, Newton looked slow and his option runs were too slow from his making his decision.
People are quick to point out week one where he beat up on a Dolphins, a team that couldn't stop the option play, and week two against a Seahawks team, that couldn't rush the quarterback or cover receivers. Week three Cam started to digress. In fact Newton's week three first half versus the Raiders, looked no different than Stidham's week four fourth quarter against the Chiefs.
In fact from everything we saw, They will get the same production in the passing game from Stidham, as the two were comparable all season. Difference being Newton will now be an eleven year veteran and Stidham a third year player.
Plus Stidham's rookie contract will be much cheaper than Cam Newton's veteran minimum. So the question begs to be asked, is Newton's running ability worth his contract and inability to pass?
Newton was a high risk, high reward player on a lowball deal in 2020. That risk will be even greater in 2021, as he will of aged several months. Months may not seem like a lot but we have seen players in all sports drop off in the short span between seasons.
Father time always wins. Newton is supposed to be a quarterback but he's always been an inconsistent passer at best, who relies on his legs. Thus instead of grading him on a quarterback scale where 35-36 is old, we must grade him on a running back scale. Old for running backs is 30. Newton's currently 31. Thus he should be done by 35, not 40. That's a huge difference.
Don't get me wrong, I am not saying Stidham is the answer for 2021 but he could be a one season bridge quarterback or worthy of a back spot.
Plus there have been arguements that Newton didn't have a full offseason, preseason, or weapons, and that any quarterback would've been bad in that situation. Well although Stidham was under contract, he didn't have any of that either and didn't benefit from first team reps in 2020 like Newton did. His scout team reps running opponents playbooks made him just as unprepared to run the Patriots offense as Newton's limited knowledge of it.
I am okay with the Patriots bringing in another quarterback to start. I am okay with them drafting a quarterback. Unless the Patriots cannot get a good option in either the draft or free agency, I cannot see how Newton's running ability makes up for his inability to pass or his contract. I trust Belichick and the name on the front will always mean more than the name on the back. For Cam Newton fans, I wonder how many that is true for as it seems they're putting Newton above the best interests of the team.
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