Odds Heavily Against Carolina Trading Cam Newton, Will Be With Panthers Week 1 of 2020
- Kyle Allen has stepped up and performed well for the Carolina Panthers with Cam Newton injured
- The Panthers are 4-2 after starting 0-2
- We’ve set odds on whether Newton could be traded this season and if he’ll be with the team in 2002
The Carolina Panthers were supposed to be dead in the water. They lost their first two games of the season and then lost Cam Newton to injury. Instead, Kyle Allen has led them to four straight wins. As a result, Newton trade rumors are swirling as some are wondering if the team is better with Allen. Will Newton get traded this season?
Odds Cam Newton Will Be Traded During 2019 Season
| Result | SBD Odds* |
|---|---|
| Yes | 9/1 |
| No | 1/9 |
*These are for informational purposes and cannot be wagered on.
Panthers Have Thrived Under Allen
The Panthers were 0-2 when they were forced to turn to undrafted quarterback Kyle Allen but he’s been a revelation for the team. They managed just 20.5 points per game in their first two contests but under Allen’s guidance, the team has averaged 31.3 over their last four games.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ja4H2PlnSZY
What’s more impressive is that the Panthers haven’t even really been playing close games. They blew out the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week, played from in front against Jacksonville and Houston almost the entire way, and smoked the Arizona Cardinals too. It’s not as if there have been a lot of tight wins.
Allen has mostly been a game manager as he’s averaging just 225.3 passing yards per game but he has seven touchdowns and no interceptions. He’s making the smart plays, relying on the playmakers and keeping his team in the game. The question is whether or not the team can actually go far with him? It has a lot of people wondering.
Would Panthers Trade Newton?
There’s been some conversation over the last year just how much Cam Newton has left in the tank. In some respects, it’s a fair question as the Panthers lost their final six games of the 2018 season and their first two of 2019 under Newton. He has no touchdown passes and three interceptions in his last four games.
Newton had 15 touchdowns and just four interceptions in his first eight games last season but had just nine and nine in his last eight. Prior to that, he had a couple of rough seasons in 2016 and 2017. Has he lost his touch?
The other main argument is that he’s mostly been injured. That’s probably the more plausible reason for his struggles as he’s only 30 years old. Sure, he’s taken a lot of punishment but when healthy, he should still be a quality starter. When the Panthers started 6-2 last season, he was in the MVP conversation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7K0dziYV7w
The other issue here is that trading Newton now means you’re dumping him at a low. Does that really make sense? It wouldn’t make the Panthers a better team right now unless they received a veteran in return (not draft picks) but that’s unlikely to happen.
Odds Cam Newton Will Be on Panthers 2020 Roster for Week 1
| Result | SBD Odds* |
|---|---|
| Yes | 1/18 |
| No | 19/1 |
*These are for informational purposes and cannot be wagered on.
Can You Bench Allen?
One big question mark with Allen is can you bench him right now? Let’s say Newton is back in a week or two and the team is still riding a winning streak. Does it make sense to put Allen back on the bench for Newton, who struggled earlier? In many cases, the team might stick with the backup but not likely in this case.
Newton is the face of the franchise and he gives the team a higher ceiling. When healthy, he brings star power to the team. Now if he comes in and thrives, then all is well. If he comes in and struggles again, the Panthers have a backup plan in Allen.
What’s the Best Bet?
Allen is the first quarterback since the merger to both win his first five NFL starts and to have not thrown an interception. It’s clear, he’s a good fit for this team. It seems that it gives the Panthers two good options: stick with him or turn back to Newton, a former league MVP.
In any scenario, I don’t see the Panthers dumping Newton before the trade deadline. He’s an asset to them this year and going forward. The goal should be to get him fully healthy and give him the reigns. I wouldn’t bet on a trade right now.
For over 15 years, Dave has been working in mainstream media and sports betting. He hosted a station on Sirius Satellite Radio for four years, and is currently a senior writer for AskMen. He's interviewed hundreds of hundreds of high-profile sports stars like Shaquille O'Neal and Floyd Mayweather.
