2020 NFL Draft Ends; Now It's Time for the Jaguars to Sign Cam Newton

Following the 2020 draft, 16 of the NFL's 32 teams possess 20-something-year-old first-round picks who are either locked in as starting quarterbacks (Buffalo, the Jets, Baltimore, Cleveland, Houston, Kansas City, Oakland, Philadelphia, the Giants, Washington, Carolina, the Rams and Arizona) or in line to take over in the future (Miami, Cincinnati and the Chargers). 

Another, Chicago, has 2017 No. 2 overall pick Mitchell Trubisky as well as Super Bowl LII MVP Nick Foles.

Six more rosters—Tennessee, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Green Bay, Detroit and Atlanta—contain 30-something-year-old first-round picks under center. And six more—Dallas, Minnesota, New Orleans, Tampa Bay, San Francisco and Seattle—have entrenched starters at that position. 

That leaves just the New England Patriots, Denver Broncos and Jacksonville Jaguars as reasonable potential candidates to acquire free-agent quarterback Cam Newton. 

Mike McCarn/Associated Press

Earlier this month, Jeff Howe of The Athletic reported New England had "expressed no interest in signing" Newton, and former Patriots executive Scott Pioli recently suggested to CBS Sports that head coach Bill Belichick and Newton couldn't coexist in Foxborough.

Meanwhile, Broncos general manager John Elway has confirmed on multiple occasions that 2019 second-round pick Drew Lock will be the team's starter from the get-go in 2020. 

He's all yours, Jacksonville. 

This isn't rocket science. Newton likely needs the Jags, and the Jags certainly could use Newton. 

Sure, a source told NBC Sports' Peter King that Jacksonville wants to give 2019 rookie sensation Gardner Minshew II "a real shot" to be the man, but that's far too large a gamble.

Even though Minshew experienced some magical moments last year, the odds are still stacked against him as a sixth-round pick. He and Tom Brady would be the only starters in the NFL who were drafted beyond Round 4. It's possible he'll become the next Brady, but that remains highly unlikely. 

John Amis/Associated Press

There's also evidence Minshew ran out of magic as a rookie. He became somewhat of a cult hero when he threw 13 touchdown passes and just two interceptions in his first eight games in relief of Foles, often shining in the clutch with a 4-3 record as a starter and a 98.8 passer rating. 

But Minshew threw a pair of interceptions as the Jags offense generated just three points in a blowout home loss to the Houston Texans in early November; he sat for a month when Foles became healthy; and he wasn't the same when he replaced Foles again in December. 

In the season's final five weeks, the 23-year-old completed 59.5 percent of his passes and posted a sub-90 rating. He also finished the year with 13 fumbles, seven of which resulted in turnovers. 

The Jaguars can't afford to wager that Minshew's magic will be sustainable.

You can't necessarily blame them for the fact that they missed out on top 2020 quarterback prospects Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert in the draft (all three came off the board before Jacksonville was on the clock with the No. 9 overall pick). But they also passed time and again on lower-tier quarterbacks Jordan Love, Jalen Hurts and Jacob Eason. 

Ideally, that wasn't a signal that they're OK with Minshew and backup Joshua Dobbs. If the Jags are being smart, it's an indication they'll pursue a veteran to work with Minshew, Dobbs and sixth-round rookie Jake Luton. 

That veteran could be Josh Rosen, Jameis Winston or Andy Dalton, all of whom could at least bring more talent and competition to Jacksonville's quarterback depth chart. But it should be Newton, who unlike those three—or any other acquirable quarterback—has been a Pro Bowler multiple times, has been a first-team All-Pro, has been an MVP and has led a team to the Super Bowl. 

Signing Newton wouldn't mean the team is giving up on Minshew, especially now that the supply-and-demand dynamics at that position should enable Jacksonville to land the 30-year-old 2011 No. 1 overall pick without offering a potentially burdensome long-term commitment. 

Jacksonville's got $18.9 million in salary-cap space and a still-talented, veteran roster. The franchise hasn't got a lot to lose, and there's still a chance to capitalize on the talent that led it to within a touchdown of the Super Bowl in 2017. 

This Jaguars team has suffered some losses since then. Gone are Calais Campbell, Jalen Ramsey, A.J. Bouye, Malik Jackson and Telvin Smith. But a healthy Newton would be a tremendous asset compared to Blake Bortles, the offensive line remains talented and DJ Chark Jr. has emerged as a star receiver.

The defense also still has plenty of oomph with recent first-round picks Taven Bryan, Josh Allen, CJ Henderson and K'Lavon Chaisson, star pass-rusher (and at the very least, strong trade chip) Yannick Ngakoue, and veteran linebackers Myles Jack and Joe Schobert. 

Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press

This team is likely too good to tank for presumed top 2021 pick Trevor Lawrence. If all goes right, the Jags are positioned to compete in 2020. But if they put it all on Minshew under center, they'll risk another season in purgatory—not good enough to make waves but not bad enough to land a premium draft pick. 

Which is why they should call Newton. 

I know, he missed all but two games last season and was severely limited for much of the previous year. It was a balky shoulder in 2018, an injured foot in 2019, and both cases required surgery. He relies heavily on his legs and athleticism, and he was sacked 256 times in his first seven seasons, so it's fair to wonder how much he has left in his bruised and battered body. 

Is there a chance he doesn't pan out? Of course. If Newton were a sure thing, he wouldn't be available. But he also wouldn't come as cheaply as he is likely to when you consider his market. 

At his best, he's one of the most dominant, uniquely talented playmakers in the NFL. And for what it's worth, he's also a brand name who would surely sell tickets and draw attention to one of the league's least valuable and most overlooked organizations. 

Yeah, that 2015 MVP season feels like it came a century ago, but quarterbacks have long shelf lives, and Newton has at least avoided contact for much of the last 16 months. It's also worth noting that before his bum shoulder started to become a big problem for him in December 2018, he was playing the best football of his career. 

Entering that final month, he had completed an uncharacteristic 69.6 percent of his passes and had a passer rating of 103.7 along with a 22-to-7 touchdown-to-interception ratio. 

If there's even a small chance Newton could rediscover that game, the Jaguars would be foolish not to sign him. 

Brad Gagnon has covered the NFL for Bleacher Report since 2012. Follow him on Twitter. Or don't. It's entirely your choice.

Salary-cap info via Spotrac.