Redskins Are Favored to Land Cam Newton and That Makes Zero Sense
By Scott Rogust
At the NFL Scouting Combine, Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule expressed his excitement to work with quarterback Cam Newton. One month later, the team opted to sign former New Orleans Saints signal caller Teddy Bridgewater and in turn, told Newton to find a trade partner.
With few teams still in need of a starting QB after the QB carousel that was 2020 Free Agency, the favorite to land the former NFL MVP are the Washington Redskins.
FWIW @john_keim has said they are NOT going after Cam. As a very long time fan of WSH I’ll tell you John Keim is as rock solid as they come when it comes to reporting on the team. Trust him implicitly. Also remember: Cam likely to be expensive. Skins still owe Alex Smith $$$. https://t.co/zSCOE7xhYv
— Matthew Berry (@MatthewBerryTMR) March 22, 2020
Washington head coach Ron Rivera's connection with Newton back in his Carolina days makes for an interesting fit. Yet, just because they have that connection doesn't mean Washington is obligated to acquire him.
The Redskins drafted Dwayne Haskins 15th overall in this past year's NFL Draft. While he didn't light up the league in Year 1, his lack of production was in part due to the lackluster coaching staff and an absence of quality weapons on offense.
Among other reasons why I don't believe the #Redskins will kick the tyres on Cam Newton or any other potential QB1 (including in the 1st round of the draft);
— Chad Ryan (@ChadwikoRCC) March 17, 2020
You don't offer a FA WR $100,000,000 if you're not sure who will be throwing them the football.
Haskins is the guy.
Washington also still has Alex Smith on the books until the conclusion of the 2022 season, where he'll earn a grand total of $40 million. Adding Newton is simply impossible for the Redskins, especially when looking at his $21 million cap hit for the 2020 season. Should Carolina release Newton, this is an entire conversation entirely.
Trading for Newton makes no sense, but this is Washington we're talking about, as owner Dan Snyder has the reputation of throwing common sense out the window. Even so, we'd say the Los Angeles Chargers, Miami Dolphins, or New England Patriots are much safer bets than the Redskins.