Cam the Ram? Ask Louis Riddick

ESPN's Louis Riddick says Cam Newton and Rams would be 'perfect fit'

ESPN’s Louis Riddick says Cam Newton and Rams would be ‘perfect fit’
Cameron DaSilva
6 hours ago

The Los Angeles Rams currently have four quarterbacks on the roster, but none of them are great options to back up Jared Goff. John Wolford is the likeliest replacement for Blake Bortles, who remains a free agent, and has the trust of Sean McVay as the Rams’ No. 2 quarterback.

But if the Rams want a more experienced and proven backup, former NFL front office executive and current ESPN analyst Louis Riddick has an idea. He says Cam Newton would be perfect for the Rams on paper, even though it obviously wouldn’t be an opportunity for Newton to start.

“The other team that would make a lot of sense on paper to me that isn’t an obvious starting job is the L.A. Rams,” Riddick said on “Golic and Wingo” Thursday. “Sean McVay and Cam Newton I think would be a perfect fit theoretically and philosophically. Again, run-centric offense. Everything runs through the running back. Play-action passes, movement passes, boots, roll-outs. I mean, Sean would have an absolute field day with that.”

“Sean McVay/Cam Newton I think would be a perfect fit theoretically and philosophically.”

–@LRiddickESPN on why the Rams would be a good fit on paper for Cam Newton even though it’s not an obvious starting job. pic.twitter.com/geeanVkmz9

— Golic and Wingo (@GolicAndWingo) April 30, 2020

Riddick made it clear on ESPN that he knows the Rams are limited with their available cap space, and that Newton obviously wouldn’t be the starter, but his argument makes a lot of sense.

The Rams signed Bortles last year in part because of his mobility and athleticism. McVay often pointed out that aspect of Bortles’ game as being a strength. He’s not the only mobile quarterback who McVay has brought in, either.

The Rams have Wolford on the roster, who’s an elusive runner and displayed great mobility outside the pocket in the preseason last year. The Rams also signed Bryce Perkins as an undrafted free agent, who was a dual-threat quarterback at Virginia with 1,629 yards rushing in the last two years. Fellow undrafted rookie Josh Love doesn’t have as much mobility, and fits more of the Goff mold of quarterbacks.

All that said, it’s highly unlikely Newton chooses to sign with the Rams. He’s holding out for a starting job, which could be difficult to come by. But even if he were to settle for a backup gig, the Rams would have trouble finding the cap space to sign him.

According to Over The Cap, they’re $5.3 million over the salary cap. That doesn’t include the $7 million freed up by restructuring Jared Goff’s contract and the $1.56 million created by also tweaking Rob Havenstein’s deal.

So really, they have about $3.2 million in cap space, some of which will be needed to sign their draft class. It just doesn’t leave enough money to sign Newton unless he’s willing to take a contract similar to the one Jameis Winston got in New Orleans, which was for $1.1 million plus incentives.

But as Riddick said, on paper, Newton would be a great match with McVay.