Quarterback Cam Newton has declared his intentions for 2021. On his Instagram account, the former Auburn All-American wrote: “Make no mistake about it. I come for everything that 2020 has taken from me. No apologies, no sobs and certainly no guilt. I need to be better. The revolution began. ”
Newton was released by the Carolina Panthers after nine seasons and played for the New England Patriots in 2020. Newton are back on the road to free agency and have their goals for this off-season.
“I have a lot of ammunition in the running to get better this season,” Newton said in his last weekly appearance on “The Greg Hill Show” on WEEI-FM before leaving Boston, “and that’s what I’m going to focus on. . ”
Newton wants to lose £ 20 in the healthy organic way and sign a contract without delay after the free agency opened on March 17.
Injuries have affected Newton’s previous two seasons. A shoulder problem caused his game to deteriorate in the second half of the 2018 season, and a foot injury limited Newton to two games in 2019.
The Panthers released Newton on March 24 – almost a week after the start of free agency – with another year on his contract. He first signed with the Patriots on July 8th.
“It’s definitely going to be considered,” Newton said. “I will not wait until the last part of another time (out of season) when I get the opportunity to do something or sign with someone. And I think I harmed myself with it. ”
But will there be more demand for Nton teams after Newton than has existed this past season?
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In 15 starts for the Patriots, Newton completed 242-of-368 passes for 2,657 yards with eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions and ran for 592 yards and 12 touchdowns on 137 carries.
New England finished 27th among the 32 teams from the NFL in points and yards in 2020. The Patriots had a 7-8 record in the games Newton started, and New England missed the playoffs for the first time since 2008 and a losing record for the first time since 2000.
Meanwhile, the player who replaced Newton, Tom Brady, went to his 10th Super Bowl and won his seventh NFL championship in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 31-9 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on February 7th.
“I did not just follow him,” Newton said. ‘I followed a system in which he had the luxury for 20 years. Just imagine it. It’s just like you as a student get six months to take a final exam, honestly, it took 20 years to prepare, but you essentially only have five weeks to prepare. ”
Newton won the NFL Most Valuable Player Award in 2015, but the results of the 2020 season apparently did not re-establish him as a starting quarterback at the first level. But Newton is not preparing for backup service in 2021.
‘For me, if I look at the whole situation, if you ask me if I want to be a backup? Hell no, ”Newton said,“ because if I look at the other teams and I watch players play, it’s been for years that guys get away with what I feel is murder due to subparks game. Do I have the right to say that with the year I had this year? No. But I’m going to be honest and say that, because that’s what I do. …
‘I know out of 32 guys, I’m not the 32nd position in that position, so you also have to first understand that I’m a competitor. I think the highest of myself first, as any person wants and should. I know what my skill is. I know what my talent is. I understand that there is no one better than I get the opportunity. This is how I will always feel. ”
The season in 2021 seems to have the potential to have more quarterback movement than usual. The Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams have already swapped Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff. Philip Rivers has retired after 17 NFL seasons, and Drew Brees is expected to join him.
Reports indicate Deshaun Watson wants the Houston Texans to swap him, Russell Wilson is unhappy with the Seattle Seahawks and the Philadelphia Eagles are shopping for Carson Wentz. Freelance QBs joining Newton include Jacoby Brissett, Andy Dalton, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tyrod Taylor, Mitchell Trubisky and Jameis Winston. And shocking concepts show backfielders Justin Fields of the State of Ohio, Mac Jones of Alabama, Trey Lance of the State of North Dakota, Trevor Lawrence of Clemson and Zach Wilson of BYU going into the top half of the first round.
The number of moving parts in the quarterback market has not prevented NFL media from increasing potential landing spots for Newton.
Among the teams that will be the market for a quarterback is the one leaving Newton. Would the Patriots consider bringing Newton back for a second season?
Newton said it would be ‘remarkable’ if New England brought him back. At his last press conference after the season ended, Patriots coach Bill Belichick said he did not have a time frame for a quarterback decision.
“We’ll just look at everything after the off-season,” Belichick said. ‘We will look forward to a full evaluation of all the things we do and do and look forward to it, and I’m sure we, like every year, want to change some things. Again, we learned a lot this year. ”
Newton played for only one other NFL head coach – Ron Rivera, who is now the reins of the Washington Football Team. Washington reached the playoffs, though it began with four quarterfinals. Only one had a winning record. Alex Smith won the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award when Washington was 5-1 in its inception. Smith overcame a spiral fracture of the tibia and fibula in his right leg in 2018 to play again, but he will turn 37 in May and emerge in 2020 with injuries.
Rivera has already been asked about a reunion with Newton in 2021.
“We’re exploring all of our options,” Rivera said. ‘Nothing’s off the table. … When we go through it, we’re going to do what we believe is best for us. ‘
Newton plans to make his own return in 2021 and use the off-season as a basis.
“I’m always the one who will find some kind of positive in the process,” Newton said. “My positive point out of everything, it was that I felt like it was all for me, or I ended the season healthy. I know all the reports over this year were: ‘Is he healthy? Is he that? Is he that? ‘And my body felt like I wanted it to feel, because I was hoping it would feel off my shoulder, off my foot, and even from the oblique tip. This is a success in my book. ‘
Newton said it was years ago that he entered a healthy off-season, which enabled him to do a full range of work.
“Of course I have to work on my mechanics,” Newton said. ‘Of course I have to throw away the football rather than the last part of last year. I will focus on getting these things as we get ready for the off-season. ‘
Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ AMarkG1.
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