AFC East Odds Move After the Patriots Sign Cam Newton
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The New England Patriots shocked the sports world by signing Cam Newton on Sunday evening. Newtown inked a one-year deal with the Patriots after missing 14 games in 2019, due to a foot injury.
New England will most likely have Newton as their number one quarterback on the depth chart come training camp. The Patriots moved on from Future Hall of Famer Tom Brady this offseason and needed a replacement for the New England legend.
According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the Patriots are now +100 to win the AFC East and +1700 to win Super Bowl LV.
Can Cam Get Back to PLaying at an MVP Level?
There’s a concern around the league when Bill Belichick has a chance to bring in a guy like Cam Newton. “He makes good decisions, he can run, he’s strong, he’s hard to tackle,” Belichick said about Newton in a 2017 interview.
Tom Brady was the Patriots starting quarterback from 2001 to 2019 and only missed 19.5 games as a Patriot. In those games, including the 2008 week one game where he tore his ACL, the Patriots went 14-6 without Brady under center.
Now, New England brings in a former MVP to man the quarterback position. If Belichick can go 14-6 with backup quarterbacks in Brady’s absence, then the Patriots should have no problem offensively with Newton under center.
Over the last four seasons, Brady has averaged 7.5, and Newton averaged 7.1 yards per attempt. The New England offense should fit Newton well once he gets acclimated. Also, Newton adds another threat that Brady didn’t have, his legs. In eight seasons, Newton has run for 4808 rushing yards, compared to Brady’s 321.
Newton’s legs will give Belichick an advantage on how he can attack an opponent’s defense. With how creative New England is on offense, this could provide Newton a chance to return to MVP level as a quarterback, as long as he stays healthy.
If Brady can be first-team All-Pro at the age of 40 in 2017, then Newton has a chance to be a productive quarterback at 31. Overall, Newton has the talent to be one of the best quarterbacks in 2020. Injuries have hurt in him recent seasons, but as long as he stays healthy, then Belichick will know how to use him so the Patriots can continue their sustained success.
How Newton Effects the Odds?
Before the Newton signing, New England was +2300 to win the Super Bowl. Now, they are +1700. Also, New England has moved to +700 to win the AFC, and have become the favorites to win the AFC East at +100 as the Bills fall to +160 (odds courtesy of FanDuel). The Patriots win total moved from 9 wins to 9.5 wins as well.
Cam Newton completely changes the NFL landscape landing with the Patriots. New huge upgrade from Jarret Stidham, who projected to be the Patriots starter. If Newton remains healthy, then the Patriots will be in contention for another Super Bowl. There’s no secret that Belichick is a mastermind when constructing rosters. Now, he has another superstar quarterback to run the ship.
Newton is an excellent addition to the roster. However, the Patriots still have holes that need addressing. Last year, they had one of the worst offensive lines in football, which affected Brady’s game. A weak offensive line doesn’t help to protect an injury-prone quarterback.
Also, New England struggled to stop the run on defense. The Patriots were bounced in playoffs because they couldn’t stop Derrick Henry in the Divisional Round. Newton won’t be able to do help the Patriots on defense, unfortunately.
Overall, the signing of Newton is a great move. New England still needs to make improves in other areas of the roster. Belichick has been great at doing this throughout his career. If they can fill the wholes in other parts of the roster, then expect New England to be competing for a Super Bowl.
