Cam Newton was released by the New England Patriots on Tuesday morning.
Talk about a bold move by Bill Belichick and the Patriots. Cam Newton is no longer on the roster, as the Mac Jones era has officially begun in the Northeast. With Jeff Driskel getting cut by the Texans, should they pursue Cam Newton to be the QB2? To only carry two quarterbacks that will actually play isn’t a smart idea.
There’s a reason why Jones was a first-round pick and Davis Mills was not. If Tyrod Taylor should miss time, would anyone want Mills to try and lead the offense? It’s just too early for Mills to take the reigns and it wouldn’t hurt to put a small contract offer towards Newton and see what happens.
Yes, Newton struggled in New England last year but the amount of work that was taken away by the pandemic also hurt a lot of teams. Newton’s own sleep routine didn’t help either. Newton is one of the bigger and tougher QB’s in the league to take down, something that could make for an interesting “wildcat” spin-off with him getting the ball.
Cam Newton’s reach would be a great option at the goal line if Offensive Coordinator Tim Kelly wanted to incorporate that into the offense.
Texans’ GM Nick Caserio said on SportsRadio 610 in Houston this morning that he does not expect Deshaun Watson to travel to Green Bay this weekend. So Watson unofficially out for Houston’s preseason opener.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 10, 2021
Cam Newton could help the Texans ground game
Last season Newton accumulated almost 600 yards rushing on the ground with 2 touchdowns. On his 137 attempts, 55 of those resulted in first downs for the Patriots. Being able to adlib on the run and make plays with his legs is something that he holds an edge over both Mills and Taylor on the roster. The question is if Newton would be okay with being the backup again, or maybe even the 2nd QB in a potential 2 QB system.
Above are Newton’s advanced stats for the last three seasons. Newton also had a pretty good YAC on his completions last year, which means that either the receiver made another effort to break free or Newton threw him open.
Cam Newton is an intriguing player to look at for this Texans team. When you’re in a rebuild such as Houston is, it doesn’t hurt to exhaust all options as they look to turn things around. What’s the worst that can happen?