4 likely destinations for Curtis Samuel in 2021 free agency

New England Patriots

The New England Patriots are clearly in a period of transition. This was to be expected when Bill Belichick and Tom Brady went their separate ways following a two-decade period of dominance and whether former Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton will do enough to earn a longer-term commitment from the organization is still up in the air.

New England got Newton on the cheap late in free agency, to put it mildly. The 2015 NFL MVP has been hit and miss so far this season and only time will tell as to whether the Patriots decide he’s worth keeping around when their defensive stars return in 2021 after opting out due to CVODI-19 concerns.

Regardless of who is taking snaps under center, they’ll need some serious reinforcements in the passing game. Their distinct lack of quality options is something that’s hampered them considerably over the last two seasons and although Belichick isn’t renowned for paying free agency the going rate, if he doesn’t bring in someone like Curtis Samuel then it could see them regress further.

Samuel wouldn’t have any problem from a chemistry perspective with Newton after the pair worked closely together in Carolina and formed a good relationship. There would be no bigger fan of this move than the former No. 1 overall pick providing he’s still on the team and it could very well be a match made in heaven.