Cam Newton an obvious trade target for Chicago Bears this offseason

If Cam Newton is out in Carolina, the Chicago Bears need to make him their number one priority this offseason.

The Chicago Bears are a team in trouble. They entered this season with the best defense in the NFL and a host of offensive playmakers who could seemingly take them over the top. Unfortunately, quarterback Mitchell Trubisky has taken significant steps back this season and is killing the ability of this team to compete going forward. Simply put, the Chicago Bears are not going to be legitimate Super Bowl contenders with Trubisky under center.

Unless they want to waste their current competitive window, the Bears must find themselves a new quarterback soon. Their new quarterback may come through the 2020 NFL Draft, but without a first-round selection, that will be difficult for the Bears to accomplish. Instead, it is much more likely that general manager Ryan Pace and company fill their quarterback need with a veteran signal-caller.

Guys like Teddy Bridgewater, Andy Dalton and Marcus Mariota could make some sense, but Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton would be the ideal fit for this team. Newton is a former league MVP who can light up the scoreboard at any time. His incredible combination of size, athleticism and raw arm talent has made Newton an absolute NFL superstar and one of the most difficult players to defend in the entire NFL.

Injuries have held Cam Newton back in recent years, including a shoulder injury last season and a foot injury that has held out of all but two games this year. The Panthers have now placed Newton on IR for that injury, ending his 2019 season. In relief of Cam Newton, Panthers quarterback Kyle Allen has played well, leaving many to wonder if Carolina will love to move forward with the young quarterback this offseason.

This is all speculation at this point, but it at least seems possible that the Panthers will look to trade Cam Newton this offseason.

With only minimal draft capital and cap space to work with, the Chicago Bears will not have an easy path to acquiring Cam Newton. That being said, Newton is a devalued asset who the Panthers may be willing to give up for relatively cheap. He also only has one-year remaining on his contract, keeping the long-term risk at a minimum.

When it comes down to it, we know that Trubisky is not the guy to lead the Bears going forward. They have to find his replacement quickly if they expect to capitalize on this competitive window. Newton has struggled in recent years, but if he comes back next season healthy, the sky is still the limit to him as an NFL quarterback.

Newton is still one of the best playmakers at the quarterback position in the NFL and would be an ideal fit as the leader of a Matt Nagy offense. Acquiring would not be easy, but if Newton becomes available this offseason, the Chicago Bears have to make him their number one priority.