Cam Newton addition boosts Patriots' odds to win AFC East for 12th season in a row

In the most recent SportsLine NFL odds, the New England Patriots were the +300 favorites on the moneyline to sign former Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, and the 2015 NFL MVP did ink a one-year deal with the Pats on Sunday with Newton able to make up to $7.5 million including incentives. Newton was actually a rare quarterback to have success against the Patriots in his career, going 2-0 with six touchdowns and one pick.

Patriots cornerback Jason McCourty said this on his podcast when learning about the signing: "I'm excited. The goal for any team is to have as many good players as possible … Cam was an MVP."

Newton will battle second-year Jarrett Stidham for the starting job in camp, with Stidham having thrown just four career regular-season passes while serving as Tom Brady's backup in 2019 as a fourth-round pick out of Auburn. Veteran journeyman Brian Hoyer also is on the roster (as are two undrafted free agent rookies). Newton, the first pick in the 2011 draft, was limited to only two games a year ago due to a foot injury but did pass a physical.

This signing shifted several futures odds at William Hill sportsbook. New England went from +120 to +105 to win the AFC East Division for a record 12th straight season. Only Major League Baseball's Atlanta Braves have also won at least 10 division titles in a row among the four major U.S. sports leagues. The Pats stayed at 9 wins but the Under had been -135 and Over +115. Now, the Under is -115 and Over -105.

Newton had been +1000 to win the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award but has jumped to a +450 third-favorite behind Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (+350), who was also limited to just the first two games of last season due to injury, and former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (also +350), who joined Brady with the Tampa Bay Bucs via trade.

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The SportsLine Projection Model has boosted the Patriots from 7.8 wins with Stidham as the team's starter to 9.3 with Newton under center. New England is given a 55 percent chance of taking the division again compared to 28.2 percent with Stidham. The Pats also jumped to third-favorites to win the conference title at 7.9 percent, behind only Baltimore (37.1 percent) and Kansas City (32.8).

It's not exactly a lock that Newton beats out Stidham for the starting job. While Newton's 58 career rushing touchdowns are the most by a QB in NFL history, he's just 23-23 as a starter since leading the Panthers to the Super Bowl following the 2015 season, and his 82.6 percent passer rating since 2016 is 27th out of 28 QBs who have thrown at least 1,000 passes over that span. Only mega-bust Blake Bortles is worse.

With Brady going to Tampa, this marks the first offseason since 1993 that two former NFL MVP quarterbacks both changed teams. The two then: Joe Montana (won award in 1989 & '90) was traded from San Francisco to Kansas City, and Boomer Esiason (1988) was dealt from Cincinnati to the New York Jets. In addition, running back Marcus Allen (1985) left the Raiders as a free agent for the Chiefs.

New England opens Week 1 at home vs. Miami as a 6.5-point favorite on the NFL odds. The Patriots do not play Carolina this season. This surely takes the Pats out of the running to potentially sign Colin Kaepernick. 

Via SportsLine NFL oddsmakers: Who is the Patriots' Week 1 starting QB?

• Cam Newton Even
• Jarrett Stidham +200
• Brian Hoyer +1000