Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Could QB Cam Newton become an option?

Of all the current options at quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to consider, could Cam Newton become part of the sweepstakes?

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a major decision to make when it comes to the future at the quarterback position.

The Buccaneers are most likely to re-sign Jameis Winston using the franchise tag to give themselves another year to evaluate Winston and his ability to develop into a franchise QB.

In addition to re-signing Winston, the Buccaneers also have free-agency options such as Philip Rivers, Teddy Bridgewater and Ryan Tannehill to consider- with star-gazing slim chances for guys like Tom Brady and Drew Brees.

Tampa Bay could also sell out to selecting a QB in the 2020 NFL Draft if the organization fell in love with a prospect. Currently, the Buccaneers would have to trade up for Joe Burrow (the No. 1 overall pick), to get in the running for Tua Tagovailoa (easily top-10) or even for Justin Herbert (who is likely to go in the top-12 at worst).

There’s actually a shot that Jacob Eason or Jordan Love could be taken off the board before pick No. 14 in the 2020 NFL Draft depending on how the spring goes for either prospect.

One option that hasn’t been touched on quite as much, though, is the potential to bring in NFC South rival QB Cam Newton to lead the team. Newton has struggled with injuries, sure, but there’s no doubting that he has talent when he’s on the field.

Just a couple of seasons ago, Newton was in contention for the NFL MVP award and, obviously, is looking to return to form. The Panthers could pursue a quarterback in the draft or in free-agency and look to market Newton to another team.

If the Buccaneers wanted to take a chance on the veteran, that No. 14 overall pick could become a valuable trade asset. There are also other avenues to get the veteran QB on the roster as it’s unclear at this point what the Panthers want to do with him anyway.

In terms of what he’d bring to the Buccaneers, Newton has a strong arm and would have plenty of play-makers around him to return to that 2015 form. He’d fit nicely into the system and would be a much bigger running threat than what Tampa Bay currently has in Winston.

If you’re wanting a quarterback who knows what it takes to get to the playoffs, Newton could be the guy. He has made four postseason appearances and played in a Super Bowl. He has the talent to be a franchise QB and might be worth a look from the Buccaneers.

All that being said, it’s not likely for this to happen and it certainly wouldn’t be well-received from a Tampa Bay fanbase who is looking for answers at the QB position and not more questions.