Jump to content
  • Welcome!

    Register and log in easily with Twitter or Google accounts!

    Or simply create a new Huddle account. 

    Members receive fewer ads , access our dark theme, and the ability to join the discussion!

     

Pat Yasinskas on Cam Newton: Go get him.


blackcatgrowl

Recommended Posts

http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcsouth/post/_/id/17768/should-panthers-take-cam-newton

Should Panthers take Cam Newton?

The news that Auburn quarterback Cam Newton will enter the draft gives the Carolina Panthers something more to think about. At a time when new coach Ron Rivera is just starting to fill out his coaching staff, Newton’s entry at least gives Carolina another option with the first pick in the 2011 draft.

Yes, most experts are saying right now that Newton isn’t worthy of the No. 1 overall pick and some are saying he’s not even a first-round pick. The knock on him is that he’s not polished and remains a project, despite his remarkable size and physical skills.

I only saw a handful of Auburn games this season due to my travel schedule, but what I saw from Newton reminded me a lot of Tampa Bay quarterback Josh Freeman. I don’t know what Carolina’s front office and coaches will see when they break down Newton. But, if they see some of those similarities to Freeman, the Panthers might have to put Newton’s stock a lot higher than the experts have it at the moment.

Tampa Bay general manager Mark Dominik has said the Bucs would have taken Freeman No. 1 overall in 2009, if they had that pick. One other general manager told me he would have taken Freeman in the top spot, if his team had that pick. Freeman slipped to No. 17 before the Bucs drafted him, but you now can make a case he’s the best quarterback from that draft.

It seems like everybody’s saying Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley and Clemson defensive end Da’Quan Bowers are the top two prospects in this draft. That may be true.

But franchise quarterbacks are hard to find and Carolina needs one. They’re in a division where Tampa Bay has Freeman, New Orleans has Drew Brees and Atlanta has Matt Ryan. Take a look at Carolina’s overall roster. Then, compare it to the rosters of the Bucs, Saints and Falcons.

In areas like running back, offensive line and linebacker, the Panthers aren’t any worse off than the other three NFC South teams. The one huge difference is quarterback. The other three teams have franchise quarterbacks. The Panthers don’t.

If they think Newton can be a franchise quarterback, they need to ignore the current rankings and go get him.

Rankings are simply AP journalists and sports analysts. You draft what you need. Right now, our defense is serviceable. Hell, as Beason pointed out in a blog post recently, we were as high as #4 on D this past year.

We need someone who can lead this team to victory. Cam can do that. He isn't a project. His mechanics aren't as screwed up as people say they are. His sheer athleticism elevates his teammates.

It's Newton time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

how you can even say "he isn't a project" is beyond me. there is no quarterback in this draft that isn't a project, and Cam is probably one of the bigger question marks as far as that goes. You can think he can be an improvement at QB and you can think he's worth the #1 but if you don't think he is a project you are delusional and have bought into the hype way too much.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

isn't a project?

lol, yea let's see him run and jump around like he does in college in the NFL. He is too big of a target and is slow by NFL standards. He needs to learn to take a hit with that big body and stand in the pocket and look over the lineman with his height. There is only so much you can do in a spread offense, he should be benched at least his first year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We need a franchise quarterback.. or heck we need to get back to winning games seriously. Defense is defense.. you can get gems in the later rounds.

Nick fairley will disrupt a pocket but wont have a 4th quarter winning drive. They have go Offense - Jimmy Clausen is Jimmy clausen.. i dont even know why he would bother to twit.. Win some games first Son.. then you can go on twitter.

Im all for Newton

Link to comment
Share on other sites

how you can even say "he isn't a project" is beyond me. there is no quarterback in this draft that isn't a project, and Cam is probably one of the bigger question marks as far as that goes. You can think he can be an improvement at QB and you can think he's worth the #1 but if you don't think he is a project you are delusional and have bought into the hype way too much.

I've yet to see anyone show that he is consistently inconsistent. He is able to make plays out of any broken play (even when injured in the BCS Championship game).

All I see is a ton of hate for the guy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

isn't a project?

lol, yea let's see him run and jump around like he does in college in the NFL. He is too big of a target and is slow by NFL standards. He needs to learn to take a hit with that big body and stand in the pocket and look over the lineman with his height. There is only so much you can do in a spread offense, he should be benched at least his first year.

Cam runs a 4.5 forty right now. Faster than L.T....You guys are haters

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've yet to see anyone show that he is consistently inconsistent. He is able to make plays out of any broken play (even when injured in the BCS Championship game).

All I see is a ton of hate for the guy.

Not hate, just intelligence. YOU DO NOT TAKE A PROJECT #1 OVERALL! He needs to be proven. We still don't know who that will be, but Green and Fairley are superior prospects to be NFL players immediately...key word immediately.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


  • PMH4OWPW7JD2TDGWZKTOYL2T3E.jpg

  • Topics

  • Posts

    • Man whether it's the Panthers or the Hornets it's crazy how many foolish talking heads there are in the local media. I just unsubscribed from locked on Hornets. Doug Branson with his cheesy mustache is an absolute clown especially when his partner isn't on. Talking about trading LaMelo because he can't win basketball games by himself with no semblance whatsoever of a legitimate Center. These YouTube personalities will say anything for a damn click.
    • I’m hoping for that exact same scenario, two seconds would be big for us. I’d hope for 3 impact players. A WR/DL/DE that can contribute like this current class would be key to our rebuild.
    • When I look at what I can find, a carryover problem from last season is our receivers are still unable to get enough separation on a consistent basis. Canales is certainly better at scheming them open, like how he sneaked out Thielen for a big play. But then he's also having Thielen running routes he frankly shouldn't be doing anymore. I feel part of the RZ issues is not really having anyone - after trading Diontae - who can make those quick cuts on a short field to give whoever is under center a wider window to throw. We also only have one guy with blazing speed in Thompkins and from what I could see, he's really used more to draw away coverage. I bring this all up because what Canales needs for sustained success - other than QB - is the other receiver pieces we'll be getting in the offseason.  Otherwise, I have to say that Canales isn't as afraid to be aggressive offensively. As others mentioned, still doesn't run the ball enough at times. Finally, I still feel his playcalls still doesn't line up with his mantra of getting rid of the ball within x amount of seconds. Maybe I count too slow. Oh, and I'm glad Canales first game after a bye looked good. I feared he'd be like Ron Rivera where we would fall flat on our faces.
×
×
  • Create New...