Cam Newton Reportedly Talked to Patriots During Early Stages of Free Agency

Cam Newton is still a free agent, and the NFL season will begin in three months. However, it looks like the interest in the 2015 NFL MVP is there, as he talked to the New England Patriots shortly after he was cut by the Panthers, according to ESPN. Obviously, a contract wasn't signed, but it doesn't mean the Patriots won add Newton to the roster. With the team lacking a ton of experience at quarterback, it's possible they could bring in Newton for a tryout once the players report for camp next month.

When it comes to details of the report, it was Newton's camp who contacted the Patriots, according to Greg A. Bedard of the Boston Sports Journal. Newton's camp was likely seeing how interested the Patriots were in him since they lost Tom Brady to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Right now, the Patriots have Brian Hoyer, Jarrett Stidham, Brian Lewerke and J'Mar Smith as the quarterbacks on the roster. Over the last few months, the Patriots have not shown interest in Newton, but head coach Bill Belichick is a fan of the Atlanta native.

In fact, Belichick explained why Newton is "public enemy No. 1" back in 2017. He's strong. He's hard to tackle," Belichick said via Patriots Wire. "He can do a lot of different things. He can beat you in a lot of different ways. We saw that in the game in 2013. I would put him at the top of the list. I'm not saying the other guys aren't a problem, because they are. But he's maybe public enemy No. 1."

Because of everything going on with the coronavirus pandemic Newton hasn't been able to work out for a team. However, he's not a big rush to join a roster as ESPN reported Newton will take his time before signing a new contract. In the meantime, Newton has been working out and posting videos on social media. He's coming off a tough 2019 season, playing in only two games due to a foot injury.

Earlier this year, Newton had a physical in Atlanta, which was coordinated by the Panthers. He passed the physical, and the injuries he had in the past are exactly that. Newton is the most successful quarterback in Panthers history, leading the team to the Super Bowl in 2015 while being named to the Pro Bowl three times.