Cam Newton, Jameis Winston, Top Free-Agent QBs After Panthers Star's Release

It's not often a 31-year-old NFL former MVP quarterback gets released. 

That was the case Tuesday when the Carolina Panthers parted ways with long-time quarterback Cam Newton, opening the starting spot for Teddy Bridgewater.

With Newton now on the market and Tom Brady signed, sealed and delivered in Tampa Bay, let's take a look at the best remaining quarterbacks on the market. 

1. Jameis Winston

Pros:

- threw for 5,109 yards and 33 TDs last season

- 26 years old

- physical tools to make every throw on the field

- won't command long-term contract

- can actually see now

Cons: 

- threw 30 interceptions in 2019

- suspended 3 games in 2018 for allegedly groping Uber driver

- 28-42 record as a starter

- decision making still lacking five years into NFL career

Jameis Winston is the potential home-run choice remaining among quarterbacks. While some may disagree with his placement above Newton, there's almost no question who provides the higher ceiling given the beating the 2015 NFL MVP has taken in his career.

Winston has been healthy throughout his career, is shifty enough in the pocket to make plays with his feet and was one of the most dynamic players in football last season when he was on. The problem here is Winston's high variance and propensity for mind-boggling throws means he has the potential to be one of the worst starting quarterbacks in football as well.

A smart team should look to sign Winston to a three-year contract with guarantees in only the first season and below-market base salaries in Years 2 and 3 in case a change of scenery winds up being the jolt he needs. His interceptions will likely mean regress back into the teens next season, making him a far more palatable long-term starter.

2. Cam Newton

Pros:

- once carried a team with Ted Ginn and Corey Brown as his starting WRs to the Super Bowl

- completed career-high 67.9 percent of passes in 2018

- still doesn't turn 31 until May

- won't command long-term contract

- still the only person capable of doing Cam Newton things

Cons: 

- he carried that team to the Super Bowl in 2015

- has topped 25 TD passes only once in his career

- dealt with nagging injuries last three seasons

- topped 60 percent completions only three times

- unclear how much his body has left

It's a strange world where the Panthers can trade Kyle Allen for a fifth-round pick but can't find a taker for Newton—especially in an offseason when Nick Foles (and his contract) got traded for a fourth. NFL teams' inability to conduct physicals at the moment amid coronavirus restrictions played a part, but it's telling that no team was willing to even ship out a late-round pick for one year of Newton.

The player who took the field last season was a complete shell of himself. Newton dinked and dunked the ball (inaccurately) down the field and posed no threat to run with a Lisfranc sprain confining him to the pocket. Straight dropbacks have never been the biggest strength of Newton's game; doing so at less than half capacity made him one of the worst starting quarterbacks in football.

Any team that signs Newton will be doing so as a reclamation project—albeit one that could have plenty of football left. Newton could have five or six years left of solid football in his career if he's able to adjust his game and remain effective while lessening the toll on his body. That said, it'll be interesting to see if he can strike a balance between protecting himself and what made him special in the first place.

3. Blake Bortles

Pros:

- 73 career NFL starts

- has every physical tool you want in a QB

- got a season to learn on sidelines he should've had as a rookie

- played a year for best offensive coach he's had (Sean McVay)

- quality backup

Cons: 

- inaccurate

- sloppy with football

- likely wants situation where he has chance at starting again

Bortles is in an interesting spot in his career because he's an elite backup but everyone has enough tape on him to know he'll probably never be a quality starter. There is no evidence Chase Daniel does anything better than Bortles—in part because there's no evidence Chase Daniel does anything well besides collect checks. Yet Daniel, he of seven career touchdown passes, just signed a three-year, $13 million contract with the Detroit Lions while Bortles sits waiting for an offer.

It's almost as if Bortles is a victim of his own experience, whereas that should be a virtue for any team looking for a quality backup. Bortles would be smart to take a one-year contract with a team that has a shaky quarterback depth chart and hope he gets an opportunity in 2020.

4. Joe Flacco

Pros:

- 171 NFL starts, Super Bowl MVP

- can mentor young QBs

- capable stopgap solution for team looking to compete

Cons: 

- not very good at football anymore

If Flacco is willing to come into a new organization as a backup, he'd be a quality short-term pickup. If not, he likely will and probably should retire. If his stint in Denver showed anything, it's Flacco is not an NFL quality starter at this point in his career.