Saints: 3 dark horse replacements for Drew Brees

Cam Newton returning to the NFC South? Sure, why not!

Newton was dumped last offseason by the Carolina Panthers in favor of former New Orleans Saints quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. With limited options available to him, the New England Patriots and head coach Bill Belichick took a chance on him on a one-year contract. The results were mixed for Newton, who had the unenviable task of replacing Tom Brady.

Newton’s passing numbers were minuscule, which can be contributed to New England’s lack of quality passing weapons. Come on, having to throw to N’Keal Harry and Demiere Byrd is not going to boost your statistics. Through 15 games, Newton completed 65.8-percent of his passes for 2,657 yards, eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Where Newton did thrive was on the ground, as he rushed for 592 yards and 12 touchdowns on 137 carries. In fact, those 592 yards were the most rushing yards accumulated by a Patriots quarterback since Steve Grogan did so back in 1978.

Payton likes a quarterback who’s mobile, and Newton is the best rushing quarterback in the 2021 free agency class. Newton would have a superior offensive line to work behind and Michael Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders to target. Plus, Newton can get revenge on the Panthers twice a season. Come on, you’d sign up to watch that.