In a year of change for the New England Patriots, Cam Newton is hoping to help guide the New England Patriots to another AFC East title.
Best-case scenario
Cam Newton owns the starting job, emphasizes his slot receivers and James White instead of the tight ends, and the defense shrugs off the opt-outs with a J.C. Jackson leap.
Additionally, linebacker and pass-rush talent like Josh Uche and Chase Winovich seamlessly fill the void left by Jamie Collins and Kyle Van Noy.
In a perfect world, the AFC East remains perpetually the AFC East; nobody’s scared of Josh Allen, the Dolphins aren’t ready, and the Jets breed dysfunction.
Newton is still the best quarterback in this division. 11-5.
Worst-case scenario
Newton clashes with management or never shakes off his injury struggles. A not-ready-yet Jarrett Stidham leads a luxury-free offense as Miami and Brian Flores taunt Bill Belichick with Tua.
Amid all this, they’re not bad enough to tank for Trevor Lawrence, and instead start the cycle of packaging picks all over again, without a long-term solution under center. Sony Michel struggles once more, and proves you should never take a back early.
There’s a lot of worst-case-scenario potential here.
Biggest offseason move
Cam Newton, hands down.
No matter how the season proceeds, he dominates the narrative. He’s the perfect new toy for Josh McDaniels, and if his body betrays him, New England retains a monstrous amount of cap space to figure it out next year.
Draft pick who makes the big impact
Uche. After letting every fringe linebacker Belichick has previously turned into studs leave in free agency, New England stole one of the pressure linebackers in college football.
Overall expectations
Anticipate Newton looking a lot more like his 2017 vintage: Not his 2015 MVP form, but a top-12 QB in the league who enters New England like a breath of fresh air.
We’re going to miss the continuity Tom Brady brought, but a lot of Patriots fans are going to learn what a gift it is to be mobile in the pocket. This team is missing plenty of pieces, but 9-7 or 10-6 isn’t a pie-in-the-sky vision. N’Keal Harry is the type of wideout who Newton can turn into a weapon, taking the pressure off Julian Edelman, and altering the narrative on another Belichick draft.
The Pats’ reign of terror may be over, but they’re not dead yet. As long as the Hoodie roams the sidelines, nobody wants to see them in January, even if we’re fan-less in Foxborough.