A new offseason, but the same problem plagues Foxboro. The New England Patriots need a quarterback. On Friday, it was announced the team re-signed Cam Newton to another team-friendly deal. However, the team would have been better off choosing Ryan Fitzpatrick in NFL Free Agency.
Patriots Should Have Passed on Cam Newton
The Cam Newton experiment did not pan out in 2020. He displayed glimpses of greatness, but made costly mistakes when it mattered most. It is a bit different from what Patriots fans experienced the last two decades.
Many fans were calling to bring Newton back for one more season. Others believe Mac Jones or another rookie QB will save the franchise. I disagree with both options.
The Patriots focus on drafting young players at other important positions, after targeted an experienced quarterback that can throw the ball in free agency.
The Patriots should have targeted Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Ryan Fitzpatrick’s Fit in New England
It sounds crazy, especially when Deshaun Watson and Russell Wilson are on the trade block, but it is the right move.
Since his 2017 resurgence in Tampa Bay, Fitzpatrick has improved his passing stats every season. He was on pace to potentially throw for 4,000 yards in 2020, but he replaced by Tua Tagovailoa in Week 5.
In 2018, FitzMagic led the league in yards per attempt. He can still launch it if he has to.
Fitzpatrick looks like an elite talent compared to Newton:
| Cam Newton 2020 | Ryan Fitzpatrick 2020 |
| 2657 Yards | 2091 Yards |
| 8 TD | 13 TD |
| 10 INT | 8 INT |
| 15 Games | 9 Games |
The re-signing of Cam Newton does not fix the quarterback problem in New England. The Patriots should have given Fitzpatrick the opportunity to start for every team in the AFC East.
