The Los Angeles Chargers will have a new starting quarterback in 2020, and they even considered signing Cam Newton.
Newton was released by the Carolina Panthers in March after spending the first nine years of his career with the NFC South franchise. The 31-year-old veteran won NFL MVP in 2015 and has ranked as a top-tier quarterback throughout his career.
Download the MyTeams app for the latest Patriots news and analysis
There's no doubt that Newton, if healthy, would be a quarterback upgrade for several teams. One of those clubs is the Chargers.
The Chargers parted ways with longtime starter Philip Rivers in March, and they added University of Oregon star Justin Herbert with the No. 6 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Herbert joins a QB depth chart that includes 2019 fifth-round pick Easton Stick and veteran Tyrod Taylor, who signed with L.A. as a free agent in 2019.
Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn admitted to CBS Sports Radio this past weekend that his team looked at signing Newton this offseason.
“Cam is a tremendous quarterback,” Lynn said. “He’s been MVP of this league, he’s led his team to the Super Bowl and he’s healthy now from what I hear. Cam is going to be on somebody’s roster and he’s going to help somebody win a few games. But yeah, we did take a look at that, sure."
New England Patriots
Why didn't the Chargers sign Newton?
“I feel really good about the quarterback room that I have,” Lynn said. “With Tyrod Taylor, Easton Stick -- those are guys a lot of people don’t talk about, but (Stick) was a Division I AA (star) -- he won like three national championships. ... He’s a hell of a leader, a hell of a professional and I think he has a bright future in this league one day. But with him, Tyrod Taylor and knowing that we had an opportunity to get (a quarterback) picking sixth in the draft, all those decisions came into play when talking about Cam."
The Chargers sound content going into the season with Stick and Herbert. L.A. could've opted for a veteran like Newton, but instead are focused on developing their young quarterbacks.
One team that appears to be taking that same path is the New England Patriots. The Patriots remain the betting favorites to land Newton, but all signs currently point to New England entering next season with 2019 fourth-round draft pick Jarrett Stidham taking over for Tom Brady as the starting quarterback. Stidham showed a lot of potential during last year's training camp and preseason, and also in practices throughout the regular season. Stidham's teammates also have been quick to praise his physical and mental talents this offseason.
Another factor for the Patriots is they have very limited salary cap space -- less than $2 million, per OverTheCap. Therefore, bringing Newton to Foxboro would be a challenge for the Patriots financially.
Lynn is right -- Newton eventually will be signed and help a team win games. He's still a very good quarterback and has a ton of experience. However, he's not the best fit for the Chargers or Patriots -- two teams that would be better served finding out what they have in their young quarterbacks.
Listen and subscribe to Tom E. Curran's Patriots Talk Podcast: