Is Cam a "franchise QB" by default? The fallout from Cam's mouth still coming.

[top dawg]

You know, I have been an ardent supporter of Cam Newton from the get-go.  I still believe that he was unfairly lambasted for being a bad person, "thug", "fake" etc. ever since he was a prospective draftee.  I think that he is a good person with a fun loving personality that truly "owns" his role as a model for kids off the field as well on game days, notwithstanding that sometimes he likes to wear a towel on his head, perhaps to cool down from the heat of a difficult game (and, yes, that whole phrase can be taken as a double entendre).  Inasmuch as I can "know" Cam, I like him, and I take issue with others who cast negativity upon a young man who has done nothing but be a ray of light in his community.  All that being said, I still question his decision making and mechanics on the field.

Yes, I know, many don't want to hear it.  There are those among us that cry foul and misconstrue words and feelings about Cam and Dave Gettleman anytime that someone dare criticize them. Well, you know what? i don't give a flying frick, because I have enough goodwill in the bank towards both of them to offer a little criticism here and there, and neither one are perfect, especially Cam.  

I actually don't mind Cam basically believing that he is a one-of-a-kind QB who has the ability to be an an apex predator on offense that the league has never seen.  But, some things you just can't say until you have the resume to back it up. But Cam put it out there, so, like it or not, people have the right to address it. Well, Rant Sports' Jason Fletcher (among many), has addressed it, and though I don't agree with everything that this baseball writer says, one thing I hear him saying is that Cam is going to be our franchise QB by default. 

The most frustrating part, as a Panthers fan, is the realization that the franchise is forced into hitching its wagons to Newton for the foreseeable future as his contract expires after next season. There aren’t enough “franchise” quarterbacks to go around, so the choices for the front office are: sign Newton to a long-term extension, or spend years looking for his successor while the organization is mired in mediocrity.

Now, to be sure, there are fans, including Huddlers, that just don't believe that Cam is worth the contract that he is bound to get. Hell, if he gets paid too much, I might be one of them, but it is what it is. Unlike this Fletcher guy, there is no way that you're going to tell me that most of the Panthers' wins should be attributed to defense and not Newton.  Everyone has an opinion, but I don't believe that Newton is "mediocre".  I have seen the size, strength and athleticism in action. Unlike others, especially those that aren't even Panthers fans, I don't know what percentage of our wins since Cam was drafted can be attributed to number 1, number 59, or several other numbers on the field.  As such, I think that it is a little disingenuous for people to say that defense is more responsible for our wins than Cam.  I have seen many players do some wonderful things over the last couple of seasons, and Cam is right at the top of the list.  The thing is though, I don't believe that Gettleman did all that he could do to help fans or the organization figure out whether Cam is actually closer to the paper panther who beams with potential, or the inconsistent Cam that is great on some Sundays and mediocre on others. That is the "most frustrating part" for me as a fan.  After seeing Cam being pummeled for a good part of the last couple of seasons, as well as play with a suspect group of receivers, under an offensive coordinator that is not known for his offensive creativity, I can't rightly say, with a straight face, that Cam is or isn't worth every bit of money that he is going to get paid.  I think that Cam is worth franchise QB money because of what I have seen him do, but I certainly don't think that the sum of his play (notwithstanding playing in below optimum conditions) warrants being paid as the top QB in the game. But, it is what it is.  

Fletcher is kind of right about the wins though, but let me add a twist.  Overpowering physical attributes don't mean too much if you don't have overpowering wins.  They are something to take into consideration come contract time, but they are certainly not the determining factor.  After all is said and done, it is still a team sport. and 30-31-1 indicates to me that compromises by all parties involved should be in order.

 

[rayzor]

meh. not even going to bother with that one.

[mpugh6]

The great thing about Dave Gettleman is he can keep bringing in drafted players with low salaries and pay the guys that deserve to get paid. We won't be able to keep everybody, but Cam is one of those guys that deserves to get paid simply because you have to have a quality QB to win.

[Silent Majority]

How would the Panthers be forced into anything. They could just let him walk. How would we be mired in mediocrity, if Cam is mediocre? Wouldn't the QB position already be there? If he isnt merely mediocre, what the hell is the point if the bitching?

[TheRed]

In Newton's first 2 seasons, after a Rookie of the Year Award, and a Pro Bowl appearance, the routine argument was "stats are nice, but he needs to win!".

Now after back to back division championships, and consecutive playoff appearances, the argument is "well how many of those wins were really him anyway? derp!"

This sounds like a shitty argument that a huddler would make, not even sure you should bother giving this person web hits.

[JawnyBlaze]

I still don't know what's so hard for people to see that what he said was what he wants to be. Not what he is. He didn't say he is one of a kind, the best, etc. He said there is no one who is like what he wants to be. His goals are higher than anyone has yet attained. There is absolutely nothing wrong or boastful about that. Guess we'll have to chalk it up to poor education standards in the US causing subpar basic reading comprehension skills.

[SpeedOFLight]

I see nothing wrong in what he said. Hell, I'm glad this guy is confident plus humble. He realizes he isn't there yet but I love the kid as my QB. It took us a lot of years to finally find a franchise QB and now that we have one, a lot folks are trying to find every fault in him. He is not perfect but I love his eagerness to learn and to try to be the best. Why play if you are not trying to be the best. 

[rayzor]

In Newton's first 2 seasons, after a Rookie of the Year Award, and a Pro Bowl appearance, the routine argument was "stats are nice, but he needs to win!".

Now after back to back division championships, and consecutive playoff appearances, the argument is "well how many of those wins were really him anyway? derp!"

This sounds like a shitty argument that a huddler would make, not even sure you should bother giving this person web hits.

pretty much this.

[Swedish Butt-Whistle]

Signing Cam doesn't just benefit Cam. It elevates other players game as well because they know they'll be rewarded and valued with their effort.

[MechaZain]

Grossly misunderstanding and overvaluing that term. Tony Romo has been a franchise QB for almost a decade and has two playoff wins and 4 pro bowls to show for it. Cam's fine.

 

 

 

 

 

[usmcpanthers]

At least he isnt tweeting insensitive poo like Kap with the #7tormscoming towards houston. Seriously, imagine if Cam did something that stupid. I see nothing wrong with what Cam said. Since when is confidence such as bad trait in a QB.

[Sean Payton's Vicodin]

:^)

[mbarbour21]

   Ugh, this is ridiculous. No, Cam is not the Franchise QB by default. Not even close. Just let the Panthers refuse to sign him and see what happens. Cam would own Cleveland. They would just give him the city. 

   On a serious note, Cam deserves to be paid as a Franchise QB, no questions asked. However, the price tag for a Franchise QB is too high. But that's the scale right now.  

   There would be somewhere around 15-20 teams, maybe more, that would be calling Cam. Not because he is okay, but because he already is a one of a kind talent. He isn't up to his full potential, but he could honestly be one of the best in history by the end of his career. IMO.

[CelibatePimp]

To a large extent, he is right in that we are "stuck" with Cam. Cam is still learning and wants to continue to get better. He does well in reading defenses and is also continuing to improve in that area. His throwing mechanics are what I dunno about (I just saw him almost overthrow Marcus Lucas who is 6'5" in today's panther's OTA videos).

Having said all that, I think the biggest improvement is learning to trust his teammates to make plays by spreading the ball around. We can win with him as we continue to surround him with talent.