How could the Raiders use Cam Newton?

Perhaps the biggest surprise of cut-down day was the Patriots releasing former MVP QB Cam Newton. Rookie QB Mac Jones beat out Newton, who was expected to be the Patriots starting quarterback at the beginning of the offseason. This begs the question, what happens with Cam Newton now?

Of course, it would take a lot of factors to bring Cam Newton to Las Vegas. In order for the Raiders to add Newton, they would obviously need a reason to do so. This could be done if the Raiders are able to find a trade partner for Marcus Mariota, a player who has been in demand as recently as this offseason. The next obstacle would be convincing Cam Newton to take a backup job as he is not going to unseat Derek Carr at this point in his career.

If these things were to happen, it would open the door for the Raiders to add one of Jon Gruden’s favorite players. “I haven’t seen many guys walk through my doors that look like Cam. I call him ‘Slam.’ Slam Newton. That was the nickname I gave him.” Those were the words Gruden used to describe the former MVP whom he met while working at ESPN. A member of Gruden’s QB Camp, Gruden and Newton have a relationship that goes back to before Newton was even drafted.

How Does He Fit?

While it is not fair to label Cam Newton as a Taysom Hill, he would have specialty packages similar to the Saints star. Now, don’t expect to see Newton out at tight end. However, a goal-line package with Newton is a problem to stop. In 2020 with the Patriots, Newton had his most success here.

This shows the type of formation the Raiders could utilize Newton in. While this formation is quite simple in its construction, it provides lots of opportunities. In this game alone, the Patriots ran a dive with Newton, a counter where Cam keeps the ball around the edge, and a pass to the fullback out of it. For the Raiders, this could dramatically help their woeful red zone offense.

Of course, Cam Newton’s biggest fit on any team is due to his personality. With an energetic personality, Newton would fit in perfectly in Las Vegas. Newton possesses a great locker room presence, and every team would love to have a guy like that in any capacity.

Will the Raiders actually sign Cam Newton? Probably not. However, he could provide the team with a valuable service to fix a problem that hurt the team drastically in 2020.

“They run power plays to his left when taking people on with his right shoulder. [Then] he gets up and throws a bullet across the field. I don’t know how he does it… I think it’s amazing,” Gruden said this in 2020 about the former Heisman winner, so the respect he has for the veteran passer is evident.