By Kevin J. Stone/@kstone06/@newftbj

Cam Newton should be a New England Patriot if and when the 2020 NFL season kicks off.

That’s right, I want “Superman” to take over for Brady and mentor Stidham. Before anyone jumps down my throat about the money, I know the Pats probably can’t afford him, but what if Bill decided to try?

I also acknowledge that Cam’s personality – which if we’re being fair we’ve only seen through TV cameras throughout his college and professional career  – doesn’t really give off the “sure I’m willing to help a young guy out” vibe, but this is quite a different situation.

For starters, let’s consider the Auburn connection. If Cam were to sign on the dotted line with the Pats, Stidham would presumably be able to bond a bit with Cam over the Auburn Tigers, and while Stidham got to learn from Brady for a year, we now know that TB12 wasn’t all in on the 2019 season, so I now have my doubts about just how valuable Stidham’s time with Brady really was.

If Cam was to sign a one-year “prove it” deal, what better way to build your stock up OFF the field than helping a second-year guy out? 

Stidham also has some of the athletic ability that Brady didn’t have, which means learning from Cam could also increase Josh McDaniel’s ability to eventually get creative with the offense (I’m thinking a better Drew Brees/Taysom Hill set up of sorts), or if nothing else at least give the illusion that they will be moving towards a more “modern” offense. 

From a Cam Newton perspective, there’s one reason why you wouldn’t want to sign here, but the other pros far outweigh the cons.

Whoever follows Brady is going to face an absurd amount of pressure that no one will ever be able to live up to. But, if anyone’s been able to handle the spotlight and has mostly relished in the opportunity it’s been Newton. The outlandish pre and postgame attire, the crap he went through with his father during his time at Auburn, if anyone can handle some intense media scrutiny from a rabid fan base I believe he can.

It’s also interesting to look at the fact that Newton recently said he’d wait until after the NFL Draft to sign somewhere if need be. So, does that mean he’s waiting to see if the Pats go and grab Tua or another quarterback? It wouldn’t shock me at all if Bill’s quietly had some conversations with Newton and told him to sit tight until things are figured out in the next two weeks.

I also don’t think Cam would price himself out of being a Patriot, simply because there are fewer options for him better than New England to resurrect his still somewhat young career. As I stated earlier, I’m also fully aware that the Pats don’t really have the cap space for him, but if he’s willing to take a team friendly one-year deal, do any of us really think Belichick wouldn’t move some pieces around to end up making it work?

Bill has always raved about the talent and athleticism of Newton each time the Pats were matched up against the Panthers. Let’s take a look at why that is, shall we?

November 18, 2013 was the first time Newton faced the Pats. It was a Monday night in Carolina, a game that the Panthers won 24-20 thanks to a non-call in the end zone on Gronk when he was clearly interfered with on the last play of the game, but that’s not important right now.

Cam went 19-of-28, throwing for 209 yards and three touchdowns. He also added 62 yards on seven carries that night and threw a touchdown pass to Ted Ginn with just 59 seconds remaining in the game to ultimately walk away with the win against a Patriots team that was 7-2 at the time.

His only other game against the Pats was also a win, this time in the form of a 33-30 shootout at Gillette October 1, 2017. That day, Newton led a 3:09 fourth-quarter drive that ended with Graham Gano kicking a 48-yard field goal for the win. Cam threw for 316 yards on an impressive 22-of-29 clip with a QB rating of 130.8. He had three touchdown passes, a pick and 44-yards rushing on eight carries with a rushing TD as well. 

Bottom line: Cam has owned the Pats and Bill Belichick defenses. Of course two games aren’t a huge sample size, but if you’re Belichick and have seen what kind of damage a guy like Newton can do up close and personal, he’s got to at least be a consideration. 

Money be dammed, the entertainment factor of Cam Newton wearing a Patriots uniform would be incredible, and I truly believe it could also do quite a bit to help Stidham become the “next guy” without just tossing him directly into the fire.