Cam Newton comes home to Carolina

A reunion of sorts is taking place this week in the National Football League. After being released by the New England Patriots this summer, and remaining a free agent through the first nine weeks of the season, quarterback Cam Newton is returning to where his NFL journey began, signing with the Carolina Panthers.

The Panthers, who sit at 4-5 after a loss to Newton’s old team a week ago, have a need at the position as they look to get back into playoff position. Sam Darnold, who the organization traded for last spring, struggled in recent weeks and is not out with a fractured shoulder. The team has P.J. Walker behind Darnold, and Walker likely gets the start this week against the Arizona Cardinals, but with the Panthers fighting to stay in the playoff hunt, adding Newton to this offense is a move that makes sense.

But what does Newton have left in the tank?

If healthy, that could be a lot.

Last season, Newton’s first and only with the Patriots, was a mixed bag for the veteran passer. He completed 65.8% of his passes for 2,657 yards and eight touchdowns, against ten interceptions. Newton also added another 137 rushing yards along with a whopping 12 touchdowns on the ground.

As a passer, Newton was at his best when he pushed the football downfield last year for New England. That was something that required some adjustments to a Patriots’ passing game, but offered some moments. In Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks, Newton and the Patriots’ passing attack looked very explosive, even in a loss:

Then later in the season, even in a loss against the Houston Texans, Newton showed the ability to push the football downfield:

We also saw some of this ability downfield in a win over the Jets:

Interestingly enough, despite the decision by Bill Belichick to “burn the boats” and release Newton after drafting Mac Jones and naming the rookie the starter, there is a case to be made that Newton looked as good as ever this preseason. In this video breaking down his performance against the Philadelphia Eagles, you’ll see a much more comfortable and decisive Newton in the pocket, moreso than during any other time during his run in New England:

Now, people are speculating whether Newton was signed to be a starter, or to sit behind Walker. Sometimes, the numbers tell the story:

That is near-starter-level money, for this point in the season.

Now how might he fit into the offense? To cater to his skill-set, you might expect a lot of verticality to the passing game. Newton was always at his best attacking downfield, as we saw last year with New England. What might also help? His exiting relationship with Christian McCaffrey. With his route tree often predicated on choices and options depending on how the defense plays him, the relationship and chemistry between McCaffrey and Newton should provide an immediate boost to the offense.

It also offers a chance to link this clip, one of the all-time great mic’d-up moments:

The Panthers are bringing Newton home, and seem to be treating him as a soon-to-be starter. If they rely on the vertical passing game, that will cater to his strengths as a quarterback. That, coupled with his chemistry with Carolina’s best offensive weapon, might be enough to turn the Panthers’ season around.