Cam Newton

Although Cam was once an MVP, there is no guarantee that he will even start for New England. They supposedly love Stidham, who was phenomenal in the preseason last year, plus Cam is coming off a full year missed and may be too old to make noise on the ground. Even still, there is enough upside that you can make a case for drafting him as a dart throw in the late rounds of single-QB leagues.

There are many who'll be jumping to draft Newton as a QB1 like it's still 2017, but you shouldn't be one of them. Newton will be coming off shoulder surgery, which had countless teams passing on him. That's a concern, yes, but it's not the biggest concern. He's now 31 years old. Do you know how many quarterbacks have rushed for more than 500 yards after turning 31? Three. Now as how many of those quarterbacks had more than four rushing touchdowns... None. Newton was once a dominating force who required coordinators to adjust gameplans, but I just don't think he's that guy anymore.

Newton missed most of last season with a foot injury, but wasn't very good in the two games he did play, completing just 56.2% of his passes. He has always made up for any deficiencies in his passing game with his legs, but at 31 years old and coming off two injury-plagued years, it's fair to wonder how much he'll contribute on the ground. Nevertheless, despite the less than stellar options at receiver, Newton will almost certainly start at quarterback for the Patriots and they'll surely figure out how best to use his talents. That makes Newton a mid-tier QB2 with upside, despite all the uncertainty.

Cam Newton has now been signed by the New England Patriots and will immediately step in as the starter. While there may be some attempt by the Patriots to claim that this is an "open competition" this offseason, a healthy Cam Newton is immensely more talented than Jarrett Stidham. Newton will be used heavily in the running game in this offense, which is fantasy gold. Additionally, the Patriots only signed Newton to a one-year deal, which means that they can used him heavily and not worry about long-term consequences. I'm expecting Newton to carry the ball over 115 times this season, which immediately puts him in the Top-10 fantasy QB conversation.

Cam Newton and the Patriots is such a strange combination. A guy with flair, creativity and verve into a team which is calculated and often totally lacks personality. I'm not entirely sure how it'll work but I don't have the highest of hopes. His high-rushing days are over and there's not likely to be a lot of passing in this offence. I'd be avoiding Cam in most standard leagues.

Cam Newton PFF passing grade rankings 2018 - 24th 2017 - 34th 2016 - 24th Multiple shoulder and lower body injuries have obviously prompted Carolina to look elsewhere

Hungry to reclaim respect and could be far from done

30 years old - UFA 2021