Patriots legend calls for Bill Belichick to sign Cam Newton

Former Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton is still looking for a new home, but could the New England Patriots still be an option?

The saga surrounding former Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton still rolls on. The 2015 NFL MVP is still waiting to confirm his new destination following his release by the franchise this offseason.

Newton parted ways with the Carolina Panthers two months ago now. There is little chance of him walking into another starting job in the NFL currently, so the signal-caller would be wise to think long and hard about his next move.

One of the teams who have been strongly linked with the former No. 1 overall pick this offseason is the New England Patriots. They lost the services of Tom Brady to the Panthers’ NFC South rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers and seem content with going into 2020 with Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer as their options.

Former Patriots linebacker Willie McGinest holds out hope that New England can make a move to acquire Newton’s services before competitive action gets underway. And the perennial Pro Bowler believes it could end up being a match made in heaven.

Discussing the subject on “Speak for Yourself”, McGinest had this to say.

"“I think Bill Belichick has handled so many different personalities that they would co-exist. It would be a great working relationship. I’m just telling you guys right now, there is a lot of respect from the Patriots organization when it comes to Cam Newton because they have played several times and he has showed out and played at a high level every single time they’ve played.“When you look at Cam Newton, and the issues he’s had, it’s never been off the field. It’s never really been on the field. It’s been when he hasn’t performed at a certain level and he’s frustrated or upset with himself, or he didn’t win football games. It was usually at the press conference, at the podium. We all know the quarterback position is at the podium and speaks to the media every single day.”"

While the proposition of Newton under center for the Patriots is a mouth-watering one for their fanbase. The actual likelihood of the player ending up in New England appears slim.

He doesn’t appear to be a good fit for the Patriots’ scheme and there is also reports that offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is “not high” on the quarterback. This came to light during his interview for the Carolina Panthers head coaching job earlier this offseason.

There are sure to be plenty more rumors surrounding Newton’s next destination before anything final comes to light. Teams will inevitably want to conduct their own independent medical examinations on the player despite him receiving the all-clear following shoulder and foot injuries during his last two seasons with the Panthers.

The Patriots are set to endure a significant fall from grace in 2020. That might result in a rare high-end draft pick for the franchise, which would not have gone unnoticed by head coach Bill Belichick.

As for Newton, there is little question he still has something to offer. This is providing he had rid himself of the niggling problems that blighted his final two years in Carolina.

While his time with the Panthers may have ended with a sour taste in the mouth, his lasting legacy with the organization is something that will live through the ages.