Cam Newton discussed deal with Patriots early in free agency?

It seems that Cam Newton won't be in any rush to sign with a new team amid the coronavirus pandemic. The market for the former Carolina Panthers quarterback has cooled, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, and Newton is expected to take his time before signing with a new team.

According to ESPN, Newton could wait for teams to resume regular activity before making any sort of decision on his future. That would give teams the chance to evaluate the 31-year-old's health in person and not just virtually.

While it's unclear whether he'd be OK with taking a backup role or not, Newton reportedly had contract discussions with the New England Patriots early during free agency, but nothing materialized, ESPN added.

It was reported in the past that the Patriots had no interest in Newton, but that doesn't necessarily seem to be the case. Bill Belichick could wait for an in-person evaluation of the veteran quarterback before signing him to a deal. However, it's been reported that Belichick is fine with his current situation at QB. Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer are expected to lead the way with undrafted free agents J'Mar Smith and Brian Lewerke also joining the squad, but that obviously could change.

Former Patriots great Rodney Harrison revealed he was "disappointed" that New England didn't aggressively pursue Newton after Tom Brady left the organization for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but it seems that Belichick wants to start fresh and build for the future with a young quarterback versus an older, often-injured Newton.

The three-time Pro Bowler missed 14 games last season due to a foot injury and the final two games of the 2018 campaign with a shoulder injury — both required surgery. Carolina coordinated a physical for Newton in March, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, and he passed and was deemed healthy.

It seems we're going to have to wait a long time before we see Newton sign a new deal, and it'll definitely be interesting to see where he lands if it's not with the Patriots who currently have the best odds to land the QB.