By Nick Wojton / Billswire.usatoday.com
It would not happen anytime soon, first and foremost. But should the Buffalo Bills consider adding Cam Newton?
There’s reasons why it wouldn’t make sense. But as easy as it is to make a list of cons, there’s some pros to adding Newton, too.
Of course, Newton will prefer a team without a starting quarterback right now. Josh Allen is in Buffalo, and Newton’s first choice, or anyone’s first choice, wouldn’t be to settle for a backup job. But if things get to that point for him, it could make sense for the Bills to consider bringing him in.
Here are five reasons the Bills could consider bringing in Newton:
Fits Allen mold better
Remember the appeal behind adding former University at Buffalo quarterback Tyree Jackson? He’s big and athletic, much like Allen. So if Allen found himself in some injury issues, namely with his playing style, maybe Jackson could come in and the Bills offense wouldn’t miss a beat?
Matt Barkley, Buffalo’s current No. 2 quarterback, has had his ups and downs steering the ship when called upon with the Bills. In addition, he changes the entire dynamic of Buffalo’s offense when he’s in there.
Newton has dealt with various injuries in recent years, causing his stock to decline. If signed by the Bills, he wouldn’t immediately be taking bumps and bruises, allowing himself to get closer to 100 percent. Then when he’s called upon, perhaps in the blink of an eye mid-game, Buffalo’s offense could roll on business as usual, or much closer to it with his similar playing style to Allen.
In fact, when Allen was drafted by the Bills, he was immediately compared to the likes of Newton. Bills Mafia loves the Allen loving cheerleader on the sidelines in Barkley, but who says Newton wouldn’t do the same, and provide a similar No. 2 option?
More experience
We have a pretty simple comparison here.
As a rookie, Allen had a player behind him on the depth chart named Derek Anderson. That former Panthers quarterback was brought in to be a seasoned, veteran backup. In Anderson’s career, he played in 78 total games.
If Buffalo brought Newton into a quarterback room with Allen, they’d be bringing in a player with much, much more experience than that. Newton has played in 125 career games. Let’s compare that to Barkley.
Sure, Barkley was a prominent college QB at USC, but in the NFL, he’s made 14 game appearances. Allen himself already has more than that with 28 games played.
Not only does Newton has more NFL experience than Barkley and Anderson combined (& sure, Davis Webb too), he has a winning record (68-55-1), MVP Award, Super Bowl appearance and the experience that comes with being a former first-round QB.
Insurance option
Allen is beloved already in Buffalo. But here’s the thing: he hasn’t accomplished much yet and is far from being a top quarterback in the NFL.
That same case can be made for Newton right now, sure. With those injury concerns creating some recent struggles for him, he’s likely not going to jump into the 2015, All-Pro, MVP version of himself in 2020.
It’s not something Bills fans will want to even consider thinking about, but what if Allen doesn’t take off in Year 3? What if he regresses, despite having the likes of Stefon Diggs and another year in the same offense? Looking around the NFL, there’s plenty of times when a first-round QB doesn’t pan out or he holds his team back. Mitchell Trubisky and the Bears currently come to mind, or the former Jets, when their stellar defense led the way for Mark Sanchez.
If Allen appears to be the weak link, for all the successes Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane have had in assembling this roster, it will be a big knock against them if the 2020 season comes and that’s the case. But if you have Newton, you’d have another quarterback, in house, that could right the ship and even potentially become the answer at that position for years to come.
Knows the culture
As referenced, we have McDermott and Beane to consider here. Those two have their background rooted in the same place that Newton does, Carolina. Do we need to say more?
But if the unthinkable sort of thing does happen and Newton joins the the Bills, that could be a big key.
Suiting up with the Bills would put Newton in a position as a backup for the first time in his pro career, at least right off the bat. As an outspoken type of player, it’d be curious to see how he would react to being a backup.
Well, worry no more about that. His roots with the Panthers would probably create some trust all around. The Bills front office would know him first hand, and trust the way he’d treat the situation, if they did sign him. Newton would also know what to expect from them as well.
Maybe this would only be a one-year type of deal, but that trust could go the distance in such a situation.
Push Josh Allen, or grab a pick
Now let’s finally address the biggest concern here: Would this be a bad thing for Allen because of the pressure that comes with Newton behind him?
Newton is not Barkley or Anderson. If Allen struggles, not many will think bringing in one of those guys to replace him is a good idea. Newton on the other hand? That’s the type of player that could cause fans or the locker room to turn a starter pretty quickly.
Having said that, this is the NFL. Allen, Newton and everyone else in the Bills locker room will face tons of adversity and McDermott touts competition and earning playing time. Whether you want Newton or not, just about everyone would rather see Allen succeed instead. So maybe Newton could be that piece that pushes Allen over the edge? He’s a competitor and gamer after all, right?
And then, maybe that does happen, could the Bills then get something for Newton? The Panthers couldn’t, and that’s why he’s a free agent. But maybe over the course of the summer, the Bills could showcase Newton while he pushes Allen in the preseason. Buffalo got a draft pick for AJ McCarron. If Newton looks even decent but Allen still edges him out, there’s no reason Buffalo couldn’t get something for him at that point.