Cam Newton signing proves Patriots don’t like Mac Jones in Round 1
By Mike Luciano
The New England Patriots could’ve easily used the No. 15 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft to select a quarterback, especially given the inconsistent season that Cam Newton had throwing the ball.
However, the Patriots decided to shock the world, and prospects like Mac Jones, who has been heavily linked to New England, by bringing back Newton.
Adam Schefter is reporting that Cam is coming back to the Patriots on a one-year incentive-laden deal that could pay him close to $14 million, even after he threw more interceptions than touchdowns and led New England to a sub-.500 record,
Newton struggled throwing the football at times, but his 12 rushing touchdowns and high completion percentage show that he could rediscover his Pro Bowl form from his Carolina Panthers days.
With tons of cap space, the Patriots are far from done providing him with weapons — at least that’s what we’d like to think.
On the flip side, this could be a crushing blow for Jones, who could start to slide now that one of his most frequent speculated landing spots has decided that bringing back Newton as a supposed reclamation project for eight figures was more worthwhile.
Comp update: Patriots are finalizing a 1-year deal worth close to $14 million for Cam Newton to return to New England, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 12, 2021
The Patriots appear to have picked Cam Newton over Mac Jones.
Jones might’ve put up some record-setting numbers while leading the undefeated Crimson Tide to a national championship, but questions about his arm talent and athletic ability might force him to drop in the draft. If the Patriots were really sold on Jones, Newton likely wouldn’t have been brought back at this price.
Newton wasn’t great last year, but it seems like Belichick has assigned that to the fact the COVID-19 pandemic prevented him from fully getting immersed in the offense. The pitiful talent around him at wide receiver certainly didn’t help things, either.
In a draft class that’s packed to the brim with quality perimeter talent, using the No. 15 pick on a target for Newton instead of a rookie quarterback like Jones, who will need a lot of nurturing, seems like the better move for a team that’s trying to get back to the postseason after such a down year.
The Patriots could still draft a backup in the later rounds given their need for an upgrade over Jarrett Stidham should Newton falter, but taking someone like Jones at No. 15 just became much more difficult to pull off. If Cam can’t get the Patriots back into the postseason, they could look to kick off a proper rebuild in 2022.
