Just a few days after their first big personnel move of the offseason — re-acquiring offensive tackle Trent Brown via trade from the Las Vegas Raiders — the New England Patriots made their second: the team re-signed starting quarterback Cam Newton to an incentive-heavy one-year, $5 million contract to keep him from hitting unrestricted free agency next week.
While it remains to be seen how Newton will fit into the picture this season, and which additional moves will be made at the position, it is no secret that the team will continue to stay vigilant and add talent to a quarterback room also currently consisting of Jarrett Stidham and Jake Dolegala. What will that talent look like? That is the big question, but New England is exploring every possible avenue.
One of the apparently also involved San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. According to CLNS Media’s Evan Lazar, the Patriots “did kick the tires” on their former second-round draft pick before eventually bringing Newton back into the fold.
A move never materialized, however, because 49ers continued to say that Garoppolo would not be available via trade. While things can change quickly in the NFL during this time of the year, the Patriots moved in a different direction to bring Newton back into the fold.
Of course, New England inquiring into Garoppolo’s availability and re-signing their 2020 starting quarterback do not necessarily have to be connected. The Patriots will do their due diligence on numerous players to get a feel for the market, and San Francisco’s QB was likely no exception despite his ties to the organization.
At this point in time, and even with Newton staying put, New England very much is in the quarterback market — regardless of whether or not Garoppolo is part of it too.