The Philadelphia Eagles waived quarterback Jamie Newman yesterday, ending his very brief stint with the team.  https://ugawire.usatoday.com/2021/06/09/former-uga-football-qb-jamie-newman-waived-by-philadelphia-eagles/. Newman was signed as an undrafted free agent on May 1st, and only lasted a little over a month with the club.  The talented quarterback is now subject to waivers before he can become a free agent.  The Steelers should be among many teams planning to claim Jamie Newman.

What happened to Jamie Newman?:

Two years ago Jamie Newman was one of the hottest quarterback prospects in the college ranks.  In his final season at Wake Forest, Newman threw for over 2,800 yards with 26 touchdowns, and only 11 interceptions.  After that remarkable season, he was set to transfer to the University of Georgia for the 2020 season.  With his skill set, and Georgia’s talent on offense many believed Newman would be a sure fire top ten pick in the 2021 draft.

Like it did with so many others, Covid 19 derailed Jamie Newman’s plans.  He made the fateful decision to sit out the season, and his stock dropped considerably.  Many still had him as a mid-round talent going into the draft.  Jamie Newman went undrafted however, surprisingly draft experts.

The Eagles decision to waive him so early on in the process is also very curious.  It leaves the team with only two quarterbacks on the roster.  This has to raise a few red flags concerning this player.  No explanation either good or bad has come out yet as for the reason for his being waived.  Given that Newman does not have any blemishes in his past so far, he should be given the benefit of the doubt here.

Why Pittsburgh?:

So why do we think the Pittsburgh Steelers should claim Jamie Newman?  Simply put, there is no down side to taking a flyer on this player.  Newman will make the bare minimum in terms of salary if he were to join the team.  That’s a very important fact for the salary cap strapped Steelers.

Beyond just the salary. Jamie Newman is a very interesting prospect.  He stands 6’3” tall, and has a canon for an arm.  Newman also has the athletic ability, and mobility that is so crucial for today’s NFL quarterbacks.  He ran for 574 yards, and had six touchdowns on the ground in his final hear at Wake Forest.

This is something the the Steelers quarterback room is in dire need of.  None of the three existing quarterbacks can be considered athletic by any stretch of the imagination.  When looking at a post Ben Roethlisberger Steelers team, having at least one athletic option would be a plus.

Conclusion:

As we stated earlier, there really is no down side to adding Jamie Newman to this roster.  It does however, give the Steelers another option for the eventual replacement of Ben Roethlisberger.  A full season on this team’s practice squad is just what Newman would need after over a year off from football.  There would be no pressure on him to start right away, and the team could have a year to decide exactly what type of talent they have in Newman.  Do not be surprised if the Pittsburgh Steelers claim Jamie Newman whenever this waiver process comes about.