Why the LA Chargers like Cam Newton more than they are leading on
By Jason Reed
The LA Chargers appear to be moving forward under the impression that Tyrod Taylor is going to be the starting quarterback in 2020. While this does not rule out the team drafting a quarterback, Taylor appears to be the veteran bridge quarterback to the future franchise quarterback.
It is not hard to see why the Chargers like Taylor. First of all, head coach Anthony Lynn coached Taylor in Buffalo and has been publically complimentary of Taylor in the past. He also gives the team a mobile option to branch off of after a decade and a half of Philip Rivers, which is more in line with how the modern-day NFL is played.
There is another mobile quarterback that has been dominating the NFL news landscape in former MVP, Cam Newton. After battling several injuries over the past few seasons, the Carolina Panthers released Newton with one year left under contract and transitioned to Teddy Bridgewater as the starting quarterback.
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Charger fans are town on Newton and many are waiting for the Cam Newton rumors to finally end once he signs with another team. Newton does present a risk, because of his injuries, which has made him an undesired asset in the eyes of some.
It might appear as if the LA Chargers are not interested in Newton as well. Reports have emerged that the team is still moving on with Taylor as the starter, but the possibility of the Chargers leaking those reports to lower Newton’s price does exist. Plus, Anthony Lynn said in a conference call with reporters that they are “turning over every rock,” which includes Newton.
It still might seem like Lynn is simply doing his due diligence and that the team is not that interested in Newton. However, based on the team’s past intentions, we might actually be getting led off the path in terms of their desire to sign Newton.
Why the Los Angeles Chargers are more interested in Cam Newton than you think:
There is one very important thing to keep in mind when we are talking about why the Chargers could be interested in Newton: the team was one of the two finalists for Tom Brady, and as far as we know, the team was willing to bring Brady in on an expensive two-year deal.
Everyone has been praising the job Tom Telesco has done this offseason with the free agents but if the team would have signed Brady then most of those moves would not have been possible. But they didn’t sign Brady, so how does that help Newton’s case?
The fact that the Chargers were one of the finalists for Newton indicates that there probably was pressure from ownership to get the big name. As we know, the Chargers are moving into a new state of the art stadium and are struggling with ticket sales.
Whether or not it is the right thing to do is a debate for another day, but the fact of the matter is that the team was interested in Brady as much as they were because of that impact he brought to the team, not because of his talent level (although he is starting to be a bit undervalued by some).
Newton brings that same dynamic and presents much less of a financial risk than Brady.
Yes, there are the injury risks with Newton as well as the impact he could have on the locker room. However, everything we have heard thus far makes it seem as if Newton is healthier than we are giving him credit for, and after being released by Carolina, he could come into LA humbled and hungry.
These are both what-ifs but they are reasonable what-ifs to take a gamble on if the Chargers can get Newton at a reduced price, which as history indicates, they likely could.
Newton is not Tom Brady but he is a massive name with a big following that could give the Chargers a face as they move into So-Fi Stadium, even if it is for one year. Because of how interested the team was in Tom Brady, it is impossible for me to think that they are not interested in Cam Newton.
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This is not about who is better between Newton and Taylor, this is about the monetary reasons for why the LA Chargers would be interested in Newton. With a much smaller risk financially than Brady, Newton gives the team the best of both worlds from a business standpoint.