This Would Be The Perfect Landing Spot For Cam Newton

• Now that the 2020 NFL Draft is complete and the New Orleans Saints signed Jameis Winston to a one-year deal to back up Drew Brees, the available (or seemingly-available) group of quarterback options is dwindling.

• Cam Newton and Andy Dalton have received a lot of buzz this offseason, and rightfully so. The Carolina Panthers cut Newton, replaced him with Teddy Bridgewater and the former MVP has been looking for a new home ever since. Further, since the Cincinnati Bengals drafted Joe Burrow with the No. 1 overall pick, Dalton's future is in limbo.

• As seen below, a few days can make a huge difference. Per FanDuel, before the Draft, Newton was regarded as a -112 favorite to be on the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 1, followed by the Jacksonville Jaguars (+375), Miami Dolphins (+450) and Denver Broncos (+500). Meanwhile, Dalton was a favorite to end up in Jacksonville (+200), followed by the Bengals (+255), New England Patriots (+550) and Chargers (+650).

• However, the Chargers drafted former Oregon standout Justin Herbert with the 6th overall pick, thus solidifying their depth chart at the position since Tyrod Taylor and Easton Stick were already on the roster. The Jaguars selected former Oregon State QB Jake Luton in the 6th Round and now have Gardner Minshew II, Joshua Dobbs and Luton on their depth chart. The Dolphins selected former Alabama star Tua Tagovailoa 5th overall, and thus completed their depth chart with Ryan Fitzpatrick and Josh Rosen also in the mix. The Broncos are the only squad above that didn't draft a quarterback, as Drew Lock, Jeff Driskel and Brett Rypien were already on their roster.

• First, let's discuss Dalton. Due to COVID-19, this will not be a typical offseason. Although Dalton got benched in favor of Ryan Finley towards the end of the 2019 season, it wasn't due to the veteran's play, per se. Finley botched his opportunity, amassing just 474 yards with two touchdowns, two interceptions and four fumbles for a QB rating of 62.1. Dalton wasn't phenomenal by any means, but threw 16 touchdowns, 14 interceptions and amassed 3,494 yards in 13 games during his first season under coach Zac Taylor. It's perfectly reasonable to assume that the organization would prefer to ease Burrow into life as an NFL quarterback if and when this season starts, so the best bet is for Dalton to stay put in Cincinnati and help prepare the franchise's next QB, which he shouldn't have an issue with since he's made nearly $100 million in salary alone from the team since taking over in 2014. FanDuel lists +1300 odds for him to be on the Patriots in Week 1, but that seems like a relative long-shot at this point.

• Now, let's get to the most fascinating free agent still out there: Newton. The Patriots (-160) are the favorite to sign him, per FanDuel, followed by the Jags (+280), Broncos (+750), Chicago Bears (+1000), Pittsburgh Steelers (+1000), Washington Redskins (+1000) and Las Vegas Raiders (+1500). The thought of Bill Belichick rolling into the new season with Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer in his quarterback room seems a bit farfetched, but he has done nothing but praise both guys and most likely would love to make a statement to Tom Brady and the rest of the NFL that the "Patriot way" is what actually brought them all their success. Further, it seems like the Jaguars are committed to Minshew. They didn't use one of their high-round picks on a quarterback and traded away Nick Foles to pave the way for the mustached youngster.

• The Broncos are the best bet to sign Newton at +750. Per Spotrac, they still have over $17 million in cap space to play with this offseason and their offense is now filled with productive playmakers (like Melvin Gordon, Phillip Lindsay, Courtland Sutton and Noah Fant) and exciting rookies (Alabama's Jerry Jeudy, Penn State's KJ Hamler and Missouri's Albert Okwuegbunam). However, they're placing a lot of faith in Drew Lock, their 2nd Round pick in last year's draft. In five games started during his rookie campaign, he completed 64.1% of his passes for 1,020 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions and, most importantly, led the team to a 4-1 record down the stretch. But, with so many weapons already solidified, why not bring in Newton to at least compete for the starting job, especially since the team's offense will already be altered under new offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur?

• With 29,041 passing yards with 182 touchdowns and 108 interceptions, Newton has also picked up 4,806 rushing yards and additional 58 rushing scores over the course of his nine-year career. Injuries have certainly limited his ultimate potential, but he's a former MVP with Super Bowl experience who completed 67.9% of his passes for 3,395 yards, 24 touchdowns and 13 interceptions with a 94.2 quarterback rating as recently as 2018. He also had 488 rushing yards and four more touchdowns on the ground in that campaign. Therefore, if he's back to full health (or close to it), he is a clear upgrade over Lock, who is still young and unproven despite his potential.

• With this core of weapons now in Denver's passing attack, Newton would instantly be surrounded by the best group of skill players he's ever played with. Since the Broncos have to get by Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, the fearsome defense of the Chargers and the rapidly-evolving Raiders within their own division, adding Newton would instantly make them more dangerous, even if it's on a one-year, prove-it deal.

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