The Patriots have given themselves some salary cap breathing room by renegotiating the final year of Rex Burkhead’s contract.

For the entire offseason, the Patriots have been up against the cap. It’s been a roadblock in their efforts to sign free agents, which is why they haven’t been too active. But they made a small move on Tuesday which will help them financially as free agency comes to an end.

The Patriots have renegotiated the final year of Rex Burkhead’s contract in order to clear up more cap space in 2020. They have dropped his base salary from $2.5 million to $1.05 million, giving him a $500k signing bonus today. The Pats will save just under $1 million with the move.

Source: the Patriots and RB Rex Burkhead have agreed to a reworked final year of his contract. Burkhead gets $550K to sign and drops his base salary from $2.5M to $1.05M, with $400K available in roster bonuses (down from $500K). The move creates $981,250 in cap space.

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) July 7, 2020

In his three years with the Patriots, Burkhead has totaled 1,416 yards and eight touchdowns along with a Super Bowl ring in 2018. His best performance came in the AFC Championship in 2018, when he totaled 64 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner in overtime.

Prior to the new deal, Burkhead was a cut candidate for the Pats, with an extremely crowded running back room that includes the likes of Sony Michel, James White and Damien Harris. The deal shows Bill Belichick’s commitment to the running back and guarantees him a spot on the team come September.

What could the Patriots do with the cap space they’ve freed up?

The Patriots have not officially announced the signing of Cam Newton, so this may be a precursor to that announcement. However, Bill Belichick could always have something else up his sleeve. Who knows what his true intentions are with this move?

There are still a ton of useful free agents on the market that Belichick may be interested in. He’s also never been afraid to make a trade, which could very much be on the cards for the Patriots. It may also just give the Patriots some room to breathe with the cap once the season starts. In case of injury, it’s always good to have some cap space on hand in a pinch.

Next: Cam Newton will be criminally underpaid in 2020

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Humbleness will soon be no more for Cam Newton of the New England Patriots.

Isn’t having Cam Newton on an NFL roster again just the best?

Love him or hate him, Newton is a ton of fun. The former No. 1 overall pick by the Carolina Panthers has joined the New England Patriots ahead of his 10th NFL season out of Auburn University. The 2010 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback had to wait months to find a new team on account of concerns surrounding the Lisfranc injury he suffered back in September.

With the medicals cleared, Newton is already putting in the work. Even though former Patriot Rob Ninkovich thinks he’s a third-stringer on this team, Newton has worked out with new teammate Mohamed Sanu and Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. Those videos were got us hyped! Now, he told us he’s “getting tired of being humble now.” Good luck with that, AFC East.

Cam Newton is chomping at the bit to get out there to prove everyone wrong.

Newton has always been a physical specimen. He works his tail off all year long, whether that’s in the gym, on the practice field or in the classroom. Though his over-the-top extra personality may eventually wear people out, there’s never been any doubt about how much Newton loves to play the game of football. He has so much passion out and we’re excited to see it on display again.

Though it may just be a lot of endorphins kicking during a workout on an Instagram video, the rest of the AFC East better watch out. The Evil Empire has itself an extra motivated quarterback ready to prove the entire NFL wrong. There is too much energy in that video for one to handle, so best of luck to Brian Hoyer or Jarrett Stidham trying to beat him out for the starting job in fall camp.

Next: These 5 NFL teams are going to have the No. 1 overall pick soon

As for the Buffalo Bills, the Miami Dolphins and the New York Jets, next year is only one year away. Buffalo may still be the favorites to win the division, but Newton has done it three times more recently than Buffalo hosted a home playoff game with Jim Kelly as the Bills quarterback. Miami and New York have to be kicking themselves knowing Superman Cam is now in the division.

Newton looks like he’s about to run through the brick wall we call humbleness and bulldoze it.

The post Cam Newton is ‘getting tired of being humble’, so the AFC East better watch out (VIDEO) appeared first on Bet Sunday.

A former Patriots linebacker thinks Cam Newton will be buried on the depth chart.

The Patriots made the move of the offseason by signing Cam Newton to a one-year deal worth up to $7.5 million in incentives. The Patriots didn’t sign the former No. 1 overall pick and 2015 NFL MVP to ride the bench. However, former Patriots linebacker Rob Ninkovich thinks the starting job won’t just be handed to the former Carolina Panthers quarterback.

Appearing on NFL Live, the former Super Bowl champion for the Patriots thinks Newton has a lot to learn before he earns the starting job. Despite the presence of the unproven Jarrett Stidham and veteran backup Brian Hoyer on the roster, Ninkovich thinks Newton will be the third-string quarterback to start. Yes, you read that right.

Ninkovich thinks Newton will be the Patriots third-string quarterback.

“He’s got to earn the starting position before he can win more games than Tom Brady,” Ninkovich said. “Look, the Patriots aren’t going to just make him the starting quarterback instantly. His contract that he signed is basically coming in, ‘hey look. Earn it.’ … He might be the third-string quarterback when he comes in. He might be behind Stidham and Brian Hoyer. Look, they’re going to test him physically and mentally. They’re going to say, ‘come in here. You’re new to this system. You’re new to this building. You have to come out here and earn the trust of everybody in the locker room.’ Earn the trust of your teammates, and see how he reacts to that. Put him in at third string and he’s pouting around and doesn’t take hold of the reins and grab leadership roles. You don’t know how people are going to react. The Patriots are going to put people through tests.”

Some of what Ninkovich makes sense some of it is complete lunacy.

Of course, nothing is handed to players in the NFL. Even first round picks and high-priced free agents have to earn their jobs, even if they aren’t in hotly-contested position battles. Of course, Newton will have a learning curve as he picks up Josh McDaniels’ playbook and develops relationships with his new teammates. Of course, Bill Belichick will want to see Newton assert himself as a leader.

But there’s no chance that Stidham and Hoyer will keep Newton on the bench or buried on a depth chart when the games actually matter. It’s one thing for Newton to be brought along slowly in his first few days in training camp, especially one in a pandemic and on-field sessions and in-person visits are limited. It’s a completely different thing to anticipate Belichick signing Newton and then have him hold a clipboard all season, barring some sort of serious injury.

Yes, the Patriots will test him but Stidham and Hoyer aren’t serious considerations any longer to start for the Patriots.

The post Former Patriots player thinks Cam Newton will be buried on depth chart (He’s wrong) appeared first on Bet Sunday.

Cam Newton working out with Mohamed Sanu, Odell Beckham Jr. is everything.

Who says Cam Newton wasn’t about the work?

Newton has worked his tail off for years to be one of the best quarterbacks of his generation. The former No. 1 overall pick by the Carolina Panthers and 2010 Heisman Trophy winner out of Auburn is now entering his 10th season in the NFL. He joins wide receiver Mohamed Sanu on the New England Patriots. Here they are putting in the work alongside Odell Beckham Jr.

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A post shared by nickinthecutt® (@nickinthecutt) on Jul 3, 2020 at 4:01pm PDT

Newton, Sanu and the Cleveland Browns wide receiver got some work in the other day. We’ve seen Newton and Beckham work out before. After Newton became a Patriot, we got a seven-second clip at the end of this practice with him and his new New England teammate Sanu. This has to get you all sorts of fired up for football season, even if you don’t care for the Patriots.

Cam Newton put in the work with Mohamed Sanu and Odell Beckham Jr.

By adding Newton, the Patriots are back in the AFC East title conversation. New England dominated the division the last 20 years, winning 17 championships in the last 19 years. Though it looked like the Buffalo Bills were the frontrunners to win it this year, New England isn’t going away with the addition of Newton to its roster.

While it’s cool to see Newton working out with Beckham again, it’s imperative that he builds a rapport with Sanu. The former Cincinnati Bengals and Atlanta Falcons pass-catcher is one of the better possession receivers in the league. He’s not any team’s No. 1 receiving option, but if you have Sanu as your No. 3 or No. 2 guy, you have to feel good about your chances to move the sticks.

Sanu had great success catching passes from Andy Dalton in Cincinnati and from Matt Ryan in Atlanta. However, being traded over to New England mid-season didn’t help him get on the same page as former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady fast enough. We he and Newton incentivized to get the most out of their 2020 campaign, their growing connection is more important than ever.

Newton’s favorite target while in Carolina was his perennial Pro Bowl tight end Greg Olsen. While he too plays for another team this year in the Seattle Seahawks, Newton having a reliable target in the middle of the field will be key for him winning and holding onto the Patriots’ starting job over Brian Hoyer and Jarrett Stidham. This video gets us hyped, but is all about the right things.

If Newton continues to put in the work with Sanu, expect that connection to flourish this fall.

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Cam Newton addressed his contract situation with the Patriots.

Cam Newton opened up about his contract numbers with the New England Patriots on Thursday.

Newton and the Patriots agreed to terms on a one-year deal on Sunday. Details of Newton’s contract reveals he’s only guaranteed $550,000. Through incentives, Newton can earn a max of $7.5 million.

The contract has drawn controversy as Newton, 31, is expected to win the starting job in New England. With so much scrutiny circling around Newton’s contractual numbers, Newton explained on Instagram his mindset when agreeing to terms:

“It’s not a lot of things money cannot buy, but amongst the top of that list of things, you would find respect as one of those,” Newton captioned his post. “This is not about money for me, it’s about respect.”

Meanwhile, there are six backup quarterbacks who are making more money than he could possibly earn in 2020. None of those quarterbacks has an MVP or Super Bowl appearance on his resume like Newton does.

It’s worth noting that Newton’s predecessor, Tom Brady, took similar pay cuts early in his career during the Patriots dynasty in attempt to keep the team together. Brady passed on earning about $60 million, according to Business Insider.

Perhaps Newton is taking a similar path to best keep this team competitive with the goal of winning a Super Bowl this upcoming season. Ultimately, his sacrifice does show how much he wants to win at this stage of his career. This low-risk move on the Patriots’ end is a high-risk and possibly high-reward scenario for Newton.

Newton was a former Heisman winner and won a national title at Auburn before being drafted as the No. 1 pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. The former Offensive Rookie of the Year played nine seasons with the Carolina Panthers before signing with the Patriots. Newton already owns the career record for most rushing touchdowns for a quarterback in NFL history.

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Patriots fans are now big fans of Cam Newton now that he’s on their team.

A lot can change in a matter of weeks or months, and not just in the real world, where every day is an adventure, but in sports too. Just two months ago, it looked like the New England Patriots had as much interest in Cam Newton as I had spending the day outside in the July heat and returning to my home with the air conditioning off.

But two months later, Newton has signed a team-friendly deal with the Patriots where he’ll replace the departed Tom Brady. Two months ago, many Patriots fans were vocal about their disdain for the former No. 1 overall pick and 2015 MVP who led the Panthers to the Super Bowl that year after a 15-1 regular season.

Well, those fans who didn’t want Newton then are suddenly his biggest fan.

This tweet from Dov Kleinman on April 27 that says the Patriots have shown zero interest in Newton was flooded with comments from Patriots fans wondering why they’d show interest. The responses ranged from Newton being injury-prone, just not good anymore, the Patriots were going to tank for Trevor Lawrence to the belief that Jarrett Stidham would be the starter.

They were all wrong.

Patriots fans were not fans of Cam Newton in April.

Compare that with the Twitter reaction from Patriots fans on Sunday night after Newton signed with the Patriots, and suddenly, they’re his biggest fan. Fans are fickle and quick to change their mind, so I’m not going to roast them over the coals for not being on board with Newton on the Patriots in the spring. After all, there were very legit questions about his health and how much he had left in the tank and what type of money he’d command in free agency.

But once Bill Belichick signs off on adding Newton, the Patriots fans have always had faith in their head coach, so those harsh feelings on Newton have softened after getting the Belichick blessing.

And if Twitter existed two decades ago when the Pats took a gangly quarterback out of Michigan in the sixth round, there would have been countless Patriots fans scoffing at the move. The rest is history.

That said, if Newton gets hurt or doesn’t perform up to expectations this fall, those same people who didn’t love him in April only to fall in love in June and July, will once again not be on the Newton bandwagon. Such is life as a sports fan.

For more NCAA football news, analysis, opinion and unique coverage by FanSided, including Heisman Trophy and College Football Playoff rankings, be sure to bookmark these pages.

The post These Patriots fans didn’t want Cam Newton in April, but now they love him appeared first on Bet Sunday.

An AFC East coach doesn’t see Cam Newton starting Week 1 for the Patriots.

Apparently, there’s an AFC East coach who doubts Cam Newton‘s starting abilities.

According to ESPN’s Dianna Russini, one AFC East head coach she spoke with doesn’t think Newton will even be the starting quarterback for the Patriots when the season starts.

While Russini is just doing her job, this is precisely why the New England Patriots have won the AFC East 17 times in the last 19 years. During his two decades of dominance, Bill Belichick is a major reason the Buffalo Bills, the Miami Dolphins and the New York Jets have run through head coaches like Larry King does wives. New England has made those three franchises look so stupid.

If there was a division you’d hear a quote like this emanating out of, it would be the AFC East -1000 if a Las Vegas sportsbook wanted to set a line for this kind of inherent dysfunction. By saying Newton’s not going to start Week 1, that means he’s going to start Week 1 and single-handedly destroy everything you hold sacred on the football field. Yes, Belichick is that petty.

Whether you want to call it an investigation or what it really is, a witch hunt, we’re absolutely going there in trying to find out which AFC East head coach was dumb enough to text that to Russini. Surely, that source has been burned after he’s now swimming in a pool of three. So which of these three amigos said it: Sean McDermott, Brian Flores or Adam Gase? We need to know!

Which AFC East coach doesn’t think Cam Newton will start Week 1?

Sean McDermott

Head Coach Buffalo Bills

Sean McDermott used to be on the Carolina Panthers’ coaching staff.

When Sean McDermott’s name comes up associated with this type of nonsense, the first thing you think of is to immediately cross his name off the list. His Buffalo Bills were, and still may be, the favorites to win the AFC East this year. What he and general manager Brandon Beane are building in Orchard Park has the potential to be something truly special.

One would think McDermott and his Bills are too focused on winning to worry about what the Patriots are doing. However, no team has been owned more shamelessly by the Patriots for the last two decades than the Bills. Buffalo going 0-for vs. New England is a Western New York rite of passage. Plus, let’s not forget where McDermott used to work before he came to Buffalo.

McDermott was the defensive coordinator under Ron Rivera with the Carolina Panthers. They are the former employer of both McDermott and Newton. While Newton was insanely talented, a hard worker and a likable guy, his reputation for being high maintenance and a lot of work have stuck with him throughout his 10-year NFL career out of Auburn. McDermott may have some thoughts.

Buffalo had every opportunity to bring Newton in as Josh Allen’s backup. They are of a similar Ben Roethlisberger prototype as starting quarterbacks. Yet, the Bills decided it’ll be either Matt Barkley or Jake Fromm who back up Allen this year and that’ll be good enough. McDermott and Leslie Frazier’s defense can game plan against Newton, but McDermott too smart to say this, right?

The post An AFC East coach doesn’t think Cam Newton will start Week 1: Let’s investigate who that coach is appeared first on Bet Sunday.

The Buffalo Bills should still be the favorites to win the AFC East in 2020

With Cam Newton signed, sealed and delivered to the New England Patriots, fans in Boston are already dreaming of another trip to the postseason and potentially to the Super Bowl. With all due respect to Newton, a former NFL MVP, are those fans kidding?

While there’s plenty of excitement surrounding Newton and his move to the AFC East, let’s not pretend like the Pats are immediately the favorites to once again bring home the division title. You simply can’t just write off the Buffalo Bills, folks.

FOX Sports radio host Colin Cowherd thinks Newton will help the Patriots win nine games and finish behind the Bills in the AFC East that suddenly could be a compelling race.

“Sports are fun if you win… Nobody in New England is going to have fun winning 9 games and finishing second to the Buffalo Bills.”@ColinCowherd reacts to comments from Randy Moss that Patriots offense will have more fun with Cam Newton: pic.twitter.com/9xUHTMlUsI

— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) July 1, 2020

Injury concerns will surround Cam Newton throughout the season in New England

Are we forgetting that the Bills had an unreal campaign in 2019, and are only going to get better on offense after trading for stud receiver Stefon Diggs? Last fall, Buffalo shocked plenty of NFL fans, going 10-6 and earning a Wild Card spot. The Pats finished 12-4, of course, leading to their AFC East crown.

However, just because Newton is in town, that doesn’t mean New England is going to be as electric as we’re used to seeing. The big question mark surrounding Newton is if he’ll be able to stay healthy for a full season, something he hasn’t been able to accomplish since 2017.

There’s a reason the Pats only signed him to a one-year contract. With all of his injury concerns, there’s a worry he could get banged up again. If that’s the case and the Pats need to turn to presumed No. 2 quarterback Jarrett Stidham, there’s just no way New England will cruise to an AFC East title.

Regardless of who’s the starter for the Patriots, Buffalo only got stronger this offseason and is poised to send a strong message to the rest of the AFC this campaign. While Pats nation might be riding high right now with the Newton signing, Josh Allen, Devin Singletary, Diggs and others will be ready to silence them in the coming months.

The post Cam Newton alone doesn’t make the Patriots the team to beat in the AFC East appeared first on Bet Sunday.

The Patriot Way has already rubbed off on Cam Newton.

Bill Belichick would be so proud. Cam Newton hasn’t had much time to rest since joining the New England Patriots on Sunday, and he’s given plenty of reaction to garner fan excitement on social media, so no one can blame him for wanting a little peace and quiet after landing at the airport on Tuesday night.

Someone, however, appears to have given away Newton’s location, and the media awaited him with a microphone, rather than open arms. Newton’s response, or lack thereof, is potentially a look forward as to how he’ll handle himself as a New England Patriot.

Cam Newton barely even looked at reporters on Tuesday after they rushed him at the airport.

The 31-year-old signed a team-friendly deal, betting on himself to put up some major numbers in Josh McDaniels’ offense. The contract also reportedly gives the Patriots the right to franchise tag him next season, which is odd for a deal involving a player of Newton’s age. At this point, though, Cam doesn’t seem to care.

Silence from Newton shouldn’t be startling at this point. He’s dealt with enough media attention for one lifetime, and this new opportunity with the Patriots suggests he’ll actually be encouraged to say less.

Cam’s media platform, despite its borderline cryptic font, gives fans an inside look into his workouts and inner workings, allowing him to control the narrative. Near the end of his tenure with Carolina, that was anything but the case.

With Newton in tow, the Patriots aim to put off a return to the mean after two decades of dominance in the AFC. With a new enemy to chase in Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, acquiring Newton and rebuilding him into his once-MVP form will be essential should the Pats wish to reach the heights they grew accustomed to with Tom Brady and Belichick.

The post Cam Newton already embracing ‘Patriot Way’ by ignoring media like a champ appeared first on Bet Sunday.

Cam Newton drops a video welcoming himself to the New England Patriots.

Cam Newton is showing excitement for his next journey with the New England Patriots.

On Sunday, Newton agreed to a one-year deal to sign with the New England Patriots. After spending his first nine seasons with the Carolina Panthers, Newton dropped a farewell YouTube video on Monday.

A video he titles “Farewell Carolina, Hello New England.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCEVo3iJ8_x/?igshid=620cdvjru1h2

Before the highlights of Newton begin to roll, there’s a VLog of himself working out where he spills the beans on his exit with the Panthers. The video shows a recording date of March 17, while he was exercising on the treadmill. He addresses the news that broke then, when reports stated Newton demands a trade from the Panthers.

”Right now, I’m angry. I feel let down but at the same time I’m not bitter,” Newton said.  “I know [sic] since the first day I came into this league that this day was going to come.”

Newton quoted the late music artist Nipsey Hussle “the marathon is continuous.”

“I never once wanted to leave Carolina,” Newton said.

When the Panthers made it clear to him that they were looking to move on, he then asked for a trade. Newton re-emphasized he is not “bitter” and appreciates their new head coach Matt Rhule and Panthers owner David Tepper, who took over the team in 2018.

”You can trust and know that I’m not going to be that sour person, bruh. It’s all love. It’s always been love and it is always going to be love. One love,” Newton said.

The video then shows a farewell to the Panthers showing highlights and folks speaking of Newton’s impact in the community. It later transitions to clips of Newton’s surgery and how he was been working out this offseason to put his best effort out there in 2020 for the New England Patriots. After a workout clips this offseason, Newton appears for one last message to close out the video.

“I have so much on my mind right now, but I’m going to keep this s**t brief. I’m at your neck,” Newton said.

The last image that appears on the screen is the Patriots logo with the words “Cam Newton New England Patriots 2020” appearing on screen.

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