Optionality is a financial term that, in short, is the
value of additional optional investment opportunities available only after
having made an initial investment, and with the recent signing of quarterback
Cam Newton, the New England Patriots are suddenly lousy with those additional
opportunities – not only in terms of cap dollars, but also on the playing
field.
Most teams’ average investment on the quarterback
position runs at about 16% of their cap space, which includes both the starter
and the backup(s), but with Newton signing a bargain-basement contract, the
Patriots’ investment of 1.5% is the greatest value in the league. Even if
Newton reaches all of the incentives on his contract, the Patriots still come
in at just a quarter of what other teams are spending.
Combined with the grievance relief that the team was
granted from the league over the contracts of Aaron Hernandez and Antonio
Brown, the Patriots suddenly find themselves with maneuverability in their cap
space, opening up options on the free agent market, though they will most
likely keep that money in reserve in hopes that Newton does reach
those incentives.
Hopeful, because a successful Newton will likely mean
success for the entire team.
As mentioned, optionality (in the context of
football), isn’t limited to cap dollars, it also translates to the playing
field as their investment in Newton expands the playbook in ways that have to
have Belichick and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels salivating…
…and also translates to Newton himself, who, with a
successful season, can capitalize on the investment he’s made in himself by
signing what amounts to a “Prove It” contract, opening up options and giving
him leverage in contract negotiations beyond the 2020 season, be they with the
Patriots or on the open market.
That said and true, many around the National Football
League are still wondering why a former-MVP in the prime of his football career
would settle for a one year contract from the New England Patriots with so
little guaranteed money that it looks like a mid-round rookie deal.
Why, indeed!
The market for Newton wasn’t what one would call
robust, but wouldn’t it have been better for him to wait until camps opened and
the inevitable injuries occurred, prompting panicked head coaches to reach out
to him with an exponentially lucrative offer?
In the short term, that probably would have been the
way to go for the former first-round draft pick of the Carolina Panthers, but
taking over for an injured starter has many different layers to it, and the
process can become so convoluted that it becomes volatile at a point in his
career where stability is paramount, lest he become sadly known as a
journeyman…
…but in the long-term, New England looks to be the
perfect place for the of-late, oft-injured trend-setter to not only revive what
was once a spectacular career, but to also market his wares in order to gain a
contract more befitting a player of his ability.
The Patriots have all the tools in place to help
Newton do just that, and with their 2021 cap situation looking far better than
this season’s dead-money albatross, Newton could easily find himself the
franchise signal caller.
Newton is no dummy. He’s betting on himself to regain
his pre-injury dynamism, and he chose the best place in the league to try and
accomplish just that. Most athletes in his position and with such a celebrated
past are looking for the best money and see themselves as a savior of sorts,
stepping in with the mind-set that they alone can elevate the team to relevance…
…and it is far too early to project whether Newton
fits into that category, especially given his flamboyancy and confidence, but
the fact that he signed for the veteran minimum in guarantees gives one the impression
that his only goal is to prove that he is still relevant.
Belichick is no dummy, either, as he likely sees
Newton as a super-sized, more athletic version of his long-lost favorite son, Jimmy Garoppolo,
whom he was building around to accommodate his skill set as the heir to Brady – so much so that even
after Garoppolo was traded, the Dark Master continued along the chosen path,
knowing that he was already locked in to a philosophy that would end the dynasty had he
kept hold of Brady for a couple of more years.
We all saw it, right? The talent that Belichick built
his 2019 team with didn’t jibe with Brady’s skill set at all, causing the
greatest of all time to bitch and bristle about iron deficiency of the offense.
It was purposeful on the part of Belichick, as he wasn’t about to be caught
with his pants down once Brady left – and certainly not after the weird
contract that Brady signed before the start of the season that left Brady with
all of the leverage.
So Newton, assuming he beats out Jarrett Stidham for
the starting role, steps into a ready-made offense that plays fabulously into
his style.
It’s worth noting that neither Belichick nor McDaniels
are likely to move off their spot so far as their conceptual philosophies are
concerned, nor should they, but it goes to figure that if Newton is indeed
under center, his presence allows for expansion and evolution of the concepts.
We are about to witness a much more diverse and open
Patriots’ offense, perhaps one that is more powerful and exciting than in years
past. Where the offense was a model of efficiency and consistency with Brady at
the helm, with a ratio between the running game and passing game consistently
around 40:60, with Newton calling the signals that should flatten out to a more
even mixture…
…and not for any reason other than that’s the way
Belichick’s team-building philosophy has been trending, and with Newton on
board, the perfect storm exists for the Patriots’ dynastic ways to continue.
How? The answer to that question starts in my next
article, which reveals the fact that the Patriots’ offensive line and zone-blocking
scheme are perfect compliments to Newton’s skill set.
