Chicago Bears News: Cam Newton rumors re-surface

The Chicago Bears were rumored to be interested in Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, who was released on Tuesday.

Chicago Bears‘ rumored quarterback target Cam Newton was released by the Carolina Panthers on Tuesday.

After the Panthers signed free agent quarterback Teddy Bridgewater when the NFL opened their calendar year last Wednesday, it was rather clear that Newton’s days in Carolina were numbered.

Reports had the Bears in trade discussions with Panthers in an attempt to bring the former league-MVP to Chicago. Even though there was wide expectation that the Panthers were going to release Newton, the thought was the the Bears wanted to get a jump on the market and acquire the veteran quarterback before he hit the free agent market.

The story that went on to be unfolded was that the Bears would trade their compensatory fourth round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft to the Jacksonville Jaguars for quarterback Nick Foles. As Bears’ fans proceeded to ponder whether Foles was an upgrade over incumbent starting quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, the Panthers were stuck with Newton due to a lack of interested trade partners.

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With Newton’s release on Tuesday, rumors re-surfaced of the Bears’ interest. Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported that the Bears were on of two teams in which the Panthers’ engaged on trade discussions regarding Newton.

Rapoport’s report re-ignited a debate of whether the Bears made the right move by trading a fourth round selection for Foles as opposed waiting until the Panthers released Newton and signing the veteran without sacrificing a draft selection.

Though, for the Bears, there should be no second guessing of this decision.

Lets first clear the notion of the Bears giving up a fourth round selection to acquire Foles.

There is a rule of thumb when observing the quarterback position in the NFL — follow the money. Foles’ contract re-structure and the inclusion of a player opt out clause after each of the next two seasons is a clear indicator that Foles will have an opportunity to start. To that end, a fourth round selection for an above-average starting quarterback in the NFL is a steal.

Now, for the Newton portion of this debate.

Erase the idea of Super Cam from your mind. That Cam Newton is still in 2015. The Newton that is in front of us now is one that had foot surgery in December of last year while dealing with the same shoulder concern that eventually led to the retirement of Indianapolis Colts’ quarterback Andrew Luck. With teams currently being unable to evaluate Newton under the supervision of their own physicians, it is a great risk to invest in Newton at this point in time. Couple that risk with the idea that Newton has no knowledge of the Bears’ offensive system and it is clear that the 30 year-old quarterback is not a clear fit.

With Foles, the Bears have a quarterback that they know is healthy at this point time and a quarterback that is well-versed in head coach Matt Nagy’s system. It is best to deal with the devil you know rather than the devil you don’t. The Bears know Foles and what he is and that is more than anyone can say about Newton right now.

Who would you rather have as the Chicago Bears’ starting quarterback, Cam Newton or Nick Foles? Sound off in the comments section and let us know.