NFL Rumors: Latest Buzz on Cam Newton's Patriots Contract, Colin Kaepernick

At least one high-profile free-agent quarterback now has a home.

According to Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen of ESPN, quarterback Cam Newton has agreed to a one-year deal with the New England Patriots:

The signing comes not long after Schefter touted New England's confidence in second-year quarterback Jarrett Stidham.

"I think it shows they have a lot of confidence in Jarrett Stidham, and it doesn't preclude them from picking up a quarterback sometime before camp and bringing in another arm at that point in time," Schefter said on ESPN's Get Up.

This was not a spur-of-the-moment decision by the Patriots, nor does it mean that they've suddenly lost confidence in Stidham. According to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer, New England has been kicking the tires on Newton for some time:

"Here's what I know—Bill Belichick and a number of New England offensive assistants called around on Newton, and the coaches who've worked with Newton the last few years really like him. I also know that Belichick has always had an affinity for players he has trouble defending, and the former NFL MVP is 100 percent that."

Breer also mentioned Newton has told people that he isn't interested in taking a backup job and/or a mentor's role. This suggests that the Patriots are willing to give him a fair shot at the starting job. Whether he earns it will largely depend on his health.

Injuries limited Newton to just 16 appearances over the last two seasons and significantly impacted his on-field performance. His new deal appears to be an incentive-based one, which should keep the price tag low if Newton isn't healthy or can't win the starting job. If Newton wins the job and performs well, he'll be a bargain.

According to Mark Daniels of the Providence Journal, the deal is worth up to $7.5 million. That's a ridiculously low cost for a former league MVP.  New England currently has just under $2 million in cap space, according to Spotrac.

Colin Kaepernick

Todd Kirkland/Associated Press

While Newton has finally found a new home, free-agent Colin Kaepernick is still looking for work. The former Super Bowl starter hasn't been on an NFL roster since being released by the San Francisco 49ers in 2016.

According to NFL Network's Michael Silver, there are teams interested in signing Kaepernick. However, it seems that none have contacted him directly.

"That may be the case; however, no one has reached out to Kaepernick's camp to gather information or to do anything to suggest that interest exists," Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio wrote. "... It's one thing to express interest to a reporter or to anyone else who, you know, isn't the person in whom a team has interest. It's quite another to actually express the interest to the person in whom the interest exists."

According to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, direct communication could be on the not-too-distant horizon:

"My understanding, at least to explain it from a team's perspective, is they're still doing their homework, still doing their research. When they get to the point where they're confident enough that they think they can work out a contract, that's when there'll be direct communication with the agent. But for now … we all see more positive signs that Kaepernick could be back in the league soon."

Kaepernick has been a controversial figure in the NFL since protesting social injustice by kneeling during the national anthem in 2016. It's possible that interested teams are quietly evaluating him, and the next step will be to gauge fan reaction to signing him.

Part of that evaluation includes finding out whether Kaepernick can still play after four years away from the game.