5 teams who should make a trade for Cam Newton
4. Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins entered the legal tampering window with the most salary cap space in the league, and they have spent a fair chunk to get Byron Jones, Kyle Van Noy and Ereck Flowers. Head coach Brian Flores previously suggested they won’t spend big money just because they can, but a significant step could be coming this year and the Patriots look vulnerable in the AFC East as they look to replace Tom Brady.
It has been assumed the Dolphins will draft a quarterback in April, with Ryan Fitzpatrick coming back as the perfect bridge option for a year. Tua Tagovailoa is apparently making good progress recovering from a severe hip injury, but it’s not yet clear if he’d be fully healthy in time for Week 1 of his rookie season. He could still be headed for a proverbial redshirt year, and whoever drafts him will have to have a contingency plan.
Newton would surely like a contract extension from his new team, and that will be a factor in trade discussions. It has been easy to say Miami wouldn’t be interested in a multi-year commitment to a veteran quarterback, with an eye on the future. But they have lingered as a remotely possible landing spot for Brady, and their spending on the first day of the tampering window has changed the narrative around them.
As Tom Brady was posting on Instagram that he's leaving New England, @tomecurran and I had just finished discussing the likely suitors on @PFT_Live: Bucs, Chargers, and don't sleep on the Dolphins.
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) March 17, 2020
The bottom line is Newton has to show he can stay healthy, and teams will be hesitant to extend him as a possible back end stipulation to a trade. The Dolphins could be the right situation to re-assert himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the league, and trading for him doesn’t have to hamper the franchise’s future plans at quarterback.