Patriots signing Cam Newton to 1-year deal, per report

It’s a whole new ballgame in Foxboro.

The Patriots and free-agent quarterback Cam Newton agreed to a 1-year contract Sunday night, a source confirmed to the Herald.

The deal is reportedly laden with incentives for the former league MVP, who can make up to $7.5 million, according to the NFL Network. Newton was released by the Panthers in mid-March after his 2019 season was cut short by injury. He now joins Jarrett Stidham, Brian Hoyer and two undrafted rookies in the team’s quarterbacks room and should be expected to compete for the starting job.

Acquiring Newton presents a low-risk, high-reward proposition for the Pats, who were set to enter the 2020 season with Stidham, a second-year unknown, at the helm.Since being drafted first overall in 2011, Newton went 2-0 against the Patriots, throwing six touchdowns to just one interception. He averaged 9.1 yards per attempt.

Prior to their last head-to-head meeting in 2017, Belichick praised Newton for his ability to threaten defenses as a passer and runner: “I think when you’re talking about mobile quarterbacks, guys that are tough to handle, tackle, can throw, run, make good decisions, can beat you — I would put Newton at the top of the list. … he would be Public Enemy No. 1.”

Patriots cornerback Jason McCourty reacted to the transaction live on his shared podcast, Double Coverage: “I’m excited. The goal for any team is to have as many good players as possible … Cam was an MVP.”

It’s unclear how Newton’s deal is structured beyond the incentives. The Pats entered Sunday with less than $700,000 in available cap space.

Newton and the Pats are expected to report to training camp in late July, barring further adjustments to the NFL’s preseason due to the coronavirus pandemic.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3ibEDZW