Cam Newton got his payday, and could bounce back in 2015.
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the past week, you’ve likely heard about the quarterback and leader of the Carolina Panthers, Cam Newton, earning a contract extension worth $103.8 million over five years. The news was first broken by David Newton over at ESPN, and it’s one of those stories that likely blew up your cell phone with updates.
For the amount of hits and pressure that Newton felt over the past season or two in Carolina, it’s impressive that he was still able to get them to the postseason and even make some noise last year. Was Newton worth the huge extension? Well, only time will tell on that one, but he’s definitely the type of player whose confidence never sways, regardless of what people think about him.
The question is, how does this contract impact Newton not only on the field, but also for fantasy owners in 2015 and beyond?
Fantasy Impact: For starters, we know what to expect from Newton on the football field. He’s a playmaker, both with his arm and his legs, which is excellent for fantasy owners. Looking towards 2015, you’ll see that he has his reliable weapon in Greg Olsen, as well as second-year receiver Kelvin Benjamin, a player who he really connected with at times in 2014.
Newton’s legs are going to be the biggest factor for fantasy owners, as it’s truly what can separate him from other fantasy quarterbacks on any given Sunday. With that said, having weapons like Olsen, Benjamin, rookie Devin Funchess and even Ted Ginn Jr., who returned to Carolina this offseason, should do wonders for his fantasy value.
The leader of the Panthers offense is a player who usually falls to rounds 7-9 in most 12-team leagues, or possibly later, but in reality, he could turn into one of the biggest steals of your draft this coming year. Newton has the weapons, he’s healthy and he’s ready to silence doubters, just as he’s always done to this point in his career. If you can get Newton in a middle round of your fantasy draft, don’t flinch at the opportunity, as he’s drafted as a late QB1, but will likely perform like a mid-to-high end QB1 this coming year.
Congrats to Newton on his big deal, and while you can bet that ownership and the quarterback himself or happy, it’s safe to say that the bulk of Panthers fans are also happy to have locked up the former Auburn Tiger for the long haul.
Jeff Smith is the Director of Fantasy Content for ProFootballSpot.com. Check us out on Twitter or Facebook and join the discussion here!
