Would signing Cam Newton be what the Dallas Cowboys need to win a Super Bowl in the next few years?
Jerry Jones has always been bold, but is he Signing-Cam-Newton-Trading-Dak-Prescott bold?
ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky has ignited a firestorm in suggesting that the Dallas Cowboys should sign free agent quarterback Cam Newton and trade current starting quarterback Dak Prescott. Orlovsky argues that this should be done in conjunction with drafting a rookie quarterback in this year’s draft, someone like Justin Herbert, and using Newton as a bridge to the future.
The question is not whether or not the team could pull off such a move, so much. It’s feasible that Prescott could net two first-round picks in trade. And, in a world where the team currently seems unsure if it can or will sign him to a long term deal, maybe it makes sense to do so. The Cowboys could then, likely, parlay two first-round picks into a move up to select the likes of Herbert in the draft. The real question is does the addition of Cam Newton serve as the missing piece that puts the Cowboys over-the-top in being Super Bowl favorites? That’s the beginning and the end of the debate, and the answer is far too lukewarm to try and be served up.
In fact, the question itself deserves reconsideration. It is not a question of whether or not Newton can win a Super Bowl with the Cowboys. The best question would be: does signing Cam Newton make the Cowboys any better?
And again, the answer is a resounding: ‘meh’.
We should not be so quick to dismiss just how good Dak Prescott was in 2019. Through the first half of the season, he was the MVP frontrunner. He threw for 30 touchdowns and only 11 interceptions, while throwing for nearly 5000 yards and gelling completely with star wide receiver Amari Cooper. Meanwhile, Cam Newton was a shell of his MVP-self who played in only two games, lost his starting job to an undrafted second year signal-caller in Kyle Allen, generated zero trade market for the Panthers, and was subsequently released in favor of Carolina signing Teddy Bridgewater. Since that time, Newton has generated no significant interest on the open market and has (wisely) resigned himself to waiting until after the draft to find a new home.
The Dallas Cowboys would be a worse team in 2020 with Cam Newton at the helm than they would be with Dak Prescott. To be honest, the comparison is likely not close. Cam Newton might (finally) be healthy and may even get back to being a good NFL starting quarterback again. But, history suggests that is not the case. Newton has only played one complete season since 2015, and has not been a Pro Bowl caliber quarterback since then either, at any point. Cam is simply past his prime.
Dak, on the other hand, is a quarterback who has yet to enter his prime. The 26 year old former 3rd round pick has a nearly 3-1 touchdown-to-interception ration in his first four years in the league, has started all 64 games in his career, and has been to the Pro Bowl in half of his NFL seasons.
The Cowboys have to pay Prescott. There is always a chance that they could improve their quarterback situation. Any team outside of Kansas City could take a risk to improve their quarterback situation (maybe Baltimore and Houston are in that boat, too). But there is a much, much greater risk that trying to make a big, bold move such as what Orlovsky suggested would make the team far worse, and waste the prime of stars Cooper and Ezekiel Elliot.
So no, signing Cam Newton would not lead Dallas to the Super Bowl, would not even make them contenders for the NFC title, and in all likelihood would lead the team to regress from their disappointing 8-8 season. The team should instead sign Prescott long term, continue building their roster through the draft, and own the NFC East like they should be right now based on the talent depleted rosters of the other teams in the division.