The Carolina Panthers could be preparing to trade Cam Newton this offseason, and while he would certainly be a risky pickup given his recent injury history, there will definitely be some teams who would be interesting in taking a shot on him.
Newton played in just two games in 2019 before bowing out to a foot injury that would ultimately require surgery, and he has also undergone a pair of shoulder procedures since the end of 2016.
So, yeah. The health history is checkered, but if Newton can just stay healthy, he can really help someone.
Here are three possible trade destinations for the former MVP this offseason:
3. Indianapolis Colts
This one depends on how the Colts feel about Jacoby Brissett.
Brissett got off to a great start this past year and was actually a fringe MVP candidate early on, but he fell off a cliff during the second half of the season.
Of course, Brissett's dip in production also coincided with Indianapolis' rash of injuries on offense, including a sprained MCL for Brissett himself, so we don't really know if Brissett languished down the stretch because of a lack of weapons or simply because he just wasn't very good.
If the Colts are not confident in Brissett heading into 2020, they could bring in Newton who, at the very worst, would at least provide some stiff competition for Brissett.
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Would the Panthers trade Cam Newton to an NFC South division rival?
I think at this point, they would so long as the return is acceptable.
The Buccaneers may be moving on from Jameis Winston this offseason, so they could very well be in need of a quarterback. While there will be other options (such as Teddy Bridgewater and Philip Rivers), Newton could be a realistic target.
Tampa Bay has a couple of terrific wide receivers in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, not to mention a very talented tight end in O.J. Howard (who was actually a bit of a disappointment in 2019).
Perhaps all the Bucs need is a consistent quarterback to really get the juices flowing offensively and bring some stability to a franchise that has not made the playoffs in over a decade.
1. Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers have already announced that they are moving on from Rivers, so we know they are in need of some help under center.
Where Los Angeles differs from the Colts and the Buccaneers is that it is probably more ready to win now, given that it has a pair of dynamic wide outs in Keenan Allen and Mike Williams and a pretty good defense that will probably always keep the Bolts in games next season.
There is also impending free agent tight end Hunter Henry, whom the Chargers could very well re-sign.
LA's shoddy offensive line is a bit scary, especially given Cam Newton's recent injury issues, but if Newton can avoid injury, it's hard to imagine a better situation for him than the Chargers, who could probably contend for a playoff spot with Newton calling the shots (and with the right moves this offseason, of course).
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