Patriots: Cam Newton signing fully ruined by string of opt outs

The recent news of Patriots players opting out of 2020 has erased the excitement for Cam Newton.

Pats Nation was riding high mere weeks ago. What a rollercoaster it’s been, and we can’t say it’s been a fun one if this is the end of the ride.

When the New England Patriots lost Tom Brady, Kyle Van Noy, Jamie Collins (among others) and were then forced to trade Rob Gronkowski, there was never a time in the last 20 years in which the organization seemed this downtrodden. What’s next? Is the dynasty officially done?

Then came Cam Newton, who injected a shot of life into the fan base. A former MVP on a revenge tour to prove his former employer and the rest of the NFL wrong? Couldn’t think of a better Patriot. That high morale continued for weeks.

Until this week. The Pats were crushed with the news that key players such as Dont’a Hightower, Marcus Cannon, Patrick Chung and others were opting out of the 2020 season due to concerns regarding the coronavirus.

And it seems like this is the only team it’s happening to to this extent. How did the Pats all of a sudden go from AFC East favorites and undisputed challenger to the Kansas City Chiefs to … looking on the largely barren free-agent market for replacements?

Every ounce of excitement that Newton had provided via his signing, Instagram posts, and mystique is now … gone? If not completely gone, it’s nearly dissipated. The Pats had already lost a chunk of their identity with offseason departures, and now another exodus is sucking life out of the franchise’s second wind.

OK, it won’t quite be that, but you get it. The Pats have lost the much-needed energy to help them forget about their worst offseason in over 20 years, and now all fans can do is wait for Bill Belichick to replace mounting monumental losses in order to salvage the upcoming campaign.