NFL Power rankings: Teams that could target Newton
With the Panthers placing Cam Newton on injured reserve, some believe Carolina could be done with the signal caller. Chris Simms and Tank Williams rank the teams who should go after the former NFL MVP.
Video Transcript
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TANK WILLIAMS: All right, Chris, breaking news. Cam Newton just got placed on IR. So we understand what the Panthers are doing. They have Kyle Allen playing really good ball. He's cheap. They want to see what they got out of him.
The Panthers can remove 19.1 against the cap next year if they let Cam go. So which teams should be clamoring for his service if they do decide to make that move in 2020? So instead of me just throwing out my rankings, I think we should try to talk this through and then try to come up with a consensus rankings.
CHRIS SIMMS: Go ahead. You want to throw out the ones that at least you think are gonna be on the radar for possibly wanting a Cam Newton--
TANK WILLIAMS: Yeah.
CHRIS SIMMS: --next year?
TANK WILLIAMS: Yeah, I mean--
CHRIS SIMMS: Go ahead. You throw it out first.
TANK WILLIAMS: --I think the teams that are on the radar right now are the Chicago Bears.
CHRIS SIMMS: Right.
TANK WILLIAMS: The Denver Broncos.
CHRIS SIMMS: OK.
TANK WILLIAMS: Tennessee Titans.
CHRIS SIMMS: Yep.
TANK WILLIAMS: Your Tampa Bay Bucs.
CHRIS SIMMS: OK.
TANK WILLIAMS: Miami Dolphins. Cincinnati Bengals. And it's a little bit iffy, but the New York Jets. And the Washington team. I mean, they drafted quarterbacks last year. But I mean it's still kind of a wait and see.
CHRIS SIMMS: OK, all right. So let's do this. I think the Redskins and the Jets, take that away. And the Broncos. They got young quarterbacks--
TANK WILLIAMS: Hold on, how are the Broncos out now? Because Elway hasn't been able to draft a quarterback yet. But he likes to bring in these savvy vets.
CHRIS SIMMS: I get that. He did bring Peyton Manning there, and they did go to two Super Bowl. So we got to give him some credit for that at some point. Now the drafting hasn't been good.
But I still think they're not gonna want to squash the Drew Lock second round pick, a guy who I think they valued as a first round type quarterback. I can't imagine them, the Redskins, or the Jets wanting to do that to their team. So I think we cancel them out right away. I think he would be maybe a detriment to any of them.
Whether it's Sam Darnold, Dwayne Haskins, or Drew Lock, they're gonna go well, OK, here's Cam Newton. He's the MVP of football four years ago. He's been to a Super Bowl. He's had a lot of great seasons in his career. Why is anybody on the offense gonna listen to me over him right now, right?
TANK WILLIAMS: OK, I can see that.
CHRIS SIMMS: That's where it basically--
TANK WILLIAMS: I can see that.
CHRIS SIMMS: But I'm gonna throw out the Los Angeles Chargers if things go south.
TANK WILLIAMS: I had them on my list, too, but I removed them. I love it.
CHRIS SIMMS: If it goes south--
TANK WILLIAMS: Yeah.
CHRIS SIMMS: --I could see them finally going, you know what? Hey, Philip Rivers, you are the man, but we would like to move on as an organization. And they're playing second fiddle out there to the Rams. The Rams are all Hollywood.
And the Chargers, it's like, uh, we don't know who the heck you are. I mean, you were San Diego. You're the LA Chargers, but they don't have the following. He certainly would bring a little star power--
TANK WILLIAMS: I knew I liked you--
CHRIS SIMMS: --to that football team.
TANK WILLIAMS: --for some reason, dog.
CHRIS SIMMS: Yep. And I could see Philip Rivers end up going to the Titans and being the quarterback down there. He didn't grow up far from Nashville.
TANK WILLIAMS: True.
CHRIS SIMMS: I could see that happening. So that would just be one team to watch out for on--
TANK WILLIAMS: And now speaking--
CHRIS SIMMS: --the radar.
TANK WILLIAMS: --of the Titans, too, I feel like Cam Newton may be able to be the second coming of Steve McNair in Tennessee. I mean, he's in SEC country. You have that star appeal there. And I think the Titans, I mean, one thing that they want to do besides winning is pack that stadium out. And what's a better way to do that bringing on Cam Newton? So I really like that--
CHRIS SIMMS: No, definitely.
TANK WILLIAMS: --move there. Now let's go to the Chicago Bears, too, because I feel like we saw the success that they had with Mitch Trubisky last year. And Cam Newton can be that kind of quarterback for them. At the same time, won't be able to turn the ball over. I understand both of them have durability issues and stuff like that.
But at this point now, Ryan Pace just needs to move on. I'm not gonna beat Mitch up too much because I watched the game against Philadelphia last week. He's out there trying to do spin moves at the goal line. You could tell that shoulder still isn't right, but they're still putting him out there trying to have him put himself.
And Mitch, he's not a good quarterback right now. He just doesn't have it mentally.
CHRIS SIMMS: The perception of Mitch Trubisky in Chicago might be too much to overcome right now there. And again, of course he gets a lot of blame for the fact that Watson and Mahomes are better. Let's not blame Mitchell Trubisky. Ryan Pace is the one to blame there. He's the one that picked Trubisky ahead of those two guys.
So there's no belief in the offense, and then there's no leader to kind of get things straight. And Trubisky hasn't got enough pelts on his horse yet, OK, to be like that leader, vocal. Hey, guys, get on my back, I'll do it. They're all like, well no, we've gotten on your back before and you throw three interceptions, so we're not sure we want to go that way.
But I'm with you. I think that's the number one spot for Cam Newton on my list right now. The Bears makes the most sense. And maybe give that city and that organization some confidence they need.
TANK WILLIAMS: All right, well let's get to it, man. Because I agree with you. I think Chicago is my number one.
CHRIS SIMMS: OK.
TANK WILLIAMS: I think Tennessee Titans, that's my number two. My former team.
And even though I had them on my list, you talked me back into it. They jumped from off my list all the way to number three. The Los Angeles Chargers need to move on from Philip Rivers, get some star power in that LA market. Hey, that's the list.
CHRIS SIMMS: I mean, my brother from another mother. My list is the same thing.
TANK WILLIAMS: Yeah.
CHRIS SIMMS: The same thing, right? Oh man, it's black-white harmony today on Yahoo, man. We all together. Woo!
TANK WILLIAMS: I love it, baby.
CHRIS SIMMS: You're the man.
