Bet on What Team Cam Newton Will Play For in 2020 NFL Season
Article updated 4/29
With all major sports temporarily suspended during the coronavirus pandemic, unless you are playing eSports DFS, NFL free agency is the only thing halfway satisfying sports fans. Last week, we cashed Brady to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before Brady announced on Instagram that he would not be returning to the New England Patriots. One of the other big moves was the Carolina Panthers’ signing of free agent Teddy Bridgewater, signaling the end of an era in Carolina. So who will Cam Newton play for when the 2020 NFL season kicks off?
Cam Newton Free Agency Betting Odds (4/29)
Patriots +110 – Since this market opened, the Patriots odds have shortened from +750 to +110. Bill Belichick didn’t draft a quarterback in the 2020 NFL Draft, leaving Jarrett Stidham as the presumed heir New England following Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski departures to Tampa Bay (look at Bucs’ Super Bowl odds here). Is Newton a good fit fro Belichick and New England? Some would say no, but it’s tough to argue that he wouldn’t give them a better chance of winning than Stidham.
Jaguars +200 – The Jacksonville Jaguars appear to be tanking in 2020, situating themselves to draft Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence in next year’s draft. If that’s the case, the Jaguars won’t be signing Newton.
Steelers +500 – Unlike the Patriots and Jaguars, Newton wouldn’t be starting if he signed with the Steelers…at least not yet. Big Ben turned 38 in March and has previously flirted with retirement. Roethlisberger’s injuries, including an elbow injury that ended his 2019 season, have likely shortened his career. It would be no surprise if he only has one or two more seasons left in the tank, which Newton could view as a potential opening to revitalize his own career. Steelers are the perfect landing spot if he’s willing to spend some time on the bench.
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The text below is from the original article about Cam Newton’s opening free agency odds.
From Sunday to Monday alone, online sports betting sites shifted the odds on what team Cam Newton will play for in Week 1 dramatically. On Sunday, FanDuel had nine teams listed before taking the Cincinnati Bengals off their betting board. Here’s a look at what oddsmakers were saying last week and what they’re saying now.
Cam Newton Week 1 Team NFL Betting Odds
All odds are courtesy of FanDuel unless otherwise stated.
| Team | Odds (3/22) |
|---|---|
| Washington Redskins | -105 |
| New England Patriots | +230 |
| Miami Dolphins | +400 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | +750 |
| Denver Broncos | +950 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | +1000 |
| Las Vegas Raiders | +1200 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | +2900 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | +4500 |
| Team | Odds (3/23) |
|---|---|
| Washington Redskins | +200 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | +300 |
| Miami Dolphins | +300 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | +500 |
| Denver Broncos | +750 |
| New England Patriots | +750 |
| Las Vegas Raiders | +1200 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | +2000 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | +4500 |
Interestingly, not all oddsmakers agree on these numbers, and there are rather large discrepancies across legal US sportsbooks. For example, the Miami Dolphins are +1000 to acquire Newton at DraftKings Sportsbook compared to +400 at both Fanduel and PointsBet.
The Panthers want to find value when shopping Newton, who has a Heisman Trophy, NFL Rookie of the Year and an NFL MVP under his belt. The problem is NFL teams may not be willing to mean the Panthers’ demands considering the quarterback’s pricey contract and recent history of health concerns. Turning 31 on May, Newton played only two games in 2019, and trade for the 2015 MVP means paying Newton’s $19.1 million in the final season of his current contract.
With all of that in mind, we may not know Newton’s 2020 destination anytime soon. That doesn’t mean it’s not something worth betting on. Here are 10 teams Cam Newton could be playing for in 2020, their respective odds at PointsBet, DraftKings or Fanduel, and what you should consider before betting.
Bet on Who Cam Newton Will Play for in Week 1
Washington Redskins +200 – The Washington Redskins are the favorites to land Newton, which would pair the former MVP with his most recent coach, Ron Rivera. On the other, hand, the Redskins drafted Dwayne Haskins Jr with the no. 15 overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft. Haskins did not earn the starting job out of training camp, but the rookie did see a good amount of NFL action. Haskins when he finally got his first NFL start in Week 9. He earned his first career NFL win in Week 12 against the Detroit Lions, and was even named NFL Rookie of the Week a few games later.
So do the Redskins trust Haskins to start a full season in 2020 or do the prefer to bide time for their 2019 first-round pick? If the latter, acquiring Newton is a reasonable short-term solution. We know who calls the shots for the Redskins, though, and owner Dan Snyder is always a wildcard. Of course, the Redskins fanbase is disgruntled with the current state of the franchise, and Snyder struggled to fill seats in 2019. In fact, DC Defenders tickets were more expensive than 2019 games at FedEx Field. Signing Newton is one way to build some much-needed hype in the nation’s capital, but I think this particular speculation is based on little more than the Rivera-Newton connection, which I’m not convinced matters as much as most people believe.
Miami Dolphins +300 – Right now the Miami Dolphins have the no. 5 overall pick in the upcoming 2020 NFL draft. Some have predicted that the Dolphins will trade for a top-three pick to acquire Tua Tagovailoa. Even so, Miami is still a realistic landing spot for Newton. The veteran’s presence would allow the Dolphins to keep Tagavolia sidelined for a year as he continues to rehab a hip injury that sat him out of the College Football Playoff.
Remember sign up at DraftKings Sportsbook to bet on the Dolphins +1000 rather than +400.
Jacksonville Jaguars +300 – A year after signing Nick Foles to a huge contract, the Jaguars and Foles have already separated. Gardner Minshew became a fan favorite after successfully filling in for Foles, but it is still a question if the sixth-round draft pick is a long-term answer for the Jaguars at the most important position in the sport.
Los Angeles Chargers +500 (PB)- With targets like Keenan Evans, Mike Williams, and Hunter Henry, the Chargers don’t need to pitch the bright lights of Hollywood to recruit a quarterback. While Hollywood is presumably a desired destination for the eccentric Newton, as we’ve mentioned previously, Newton doesn’t exactly have a say in the matter as things currently stand. All signs point towards the Chargers starting Tyrod Taylor and possibly using a draft pick on a rookie quarterback. With that in mind, the Chargers are unlikely to offer enough to make something like this happen. Sign up at PointsBet to get these odds.
New England Patriots +750 (previously +350) – Tom Brady isn’t retiring, but he is moving to Florida. This means the Patriots are in need of a quarterback for the first time in over two decades. You would be a fool to think Belichik will be patient and rebuild. The Patriots still have a great defense, and Belichick, with or without Brady, is always in win-now mode. Who is a quarterback that can help Belichick win now? With Philip Rivers in Indianapolis, Cam Newton is the most notable name.
The Patriots drafted former Auburn quarterback Jarret Stidham in 2019, but Stidham does not appear to be NFL-ready. He only threw four passes his rookie year, with his only touchdown being thrown to the other team. That was in a blowout of the New York Jets and Belichick quickly pulled the then-rookie, leaving Brady to finish the game despite their large lead.
Even though Stidham has a year under his belt, I’m not sure Belichick is ready to give him the keys quite yet. Then again, Belichick did just fine in the years where Brady was hurt with backup quarterbacks like Matt Cassell, Jacoby Brissett and Jimmy Garrappolo.
Denver Broncos +1600 (PB) – The Broncos and John Elway are no strangers to using free agency to pick up a veteran quarterback. The first time they did so resulted in a Super Bowl win over none other than the Carolina Panthers and Cam Newton himself. Aside from Peyton Manning, Broncos GM John Elway has had a difficult time identifying quarterback talent. Despite his struggles, all signs point towards Elway being locked in on Drew Lock. Do not expect Elway to move in on Newton. Sign up at PointsBet to get these odds.
Las Vegas Raiders +1200 – The Las Vegas Raiders are looking to make a splash as they relocate to Sin City. They had hoped to do so by pursuing Tom Brady, but Brady chose the Buccaneers, steering clear of Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West. With Brady out, might Newton be in? Some pundits think so.
Pittsburgh Steelers +2900 – Ben Roethlisberger will return as the Steelers quarterback after missing all but a couple of quarters of the 2019 season. No, Roethlisberger and Newton will not share a locker room in 2020.
Carolina Panthers +3300 (DK) – The Panthers and Newton are clearly ready to separate, but as is the case in most divorces, it is usually easier said than done. Most teams will be unwilling to offer the Panthers what they want for Newton. And to make matters more difficult, the current coronavirus pandemic will likely prevent Newton from having the opportunity to prove he’s healthy to the teams that would have interest in him.
Cincinnati Bengals +10000 (DK) – The Bengals are -3500 favorites to draft Joe Burrow. Passing up the 2019-20 Heisman Trophy winner would make for the biggest surprise of the offseason. Sign up at DraftKings Sportsbook to get these odds.
Image Credit: USA Today Sports Images