Several teams at top of draft seem interested in Cam

[Mr. Scot]

What is a Cam hater? I havent really seen anyone say he sucks, that would be hating in my opinion, whats yours? Ive seen a few, like myself, rather pick someone else at #1, but I wont be disappointed if thats our pick. Why would, in this draft especially, everyone agree that there is a number one overall consensus player, when you have 20 mock drafts with 12 different players rated #1. I believe there are about 8 guys that are worthy of #1 in this draft, Cam one of them.

Any other year, I could probably live with Newton - or Gabbert or Locker or Kaepernick for that matter - as developmental prospects. But I wouldn't take any of them with the #1 overall pick, and our situation this year is such that a veteran acquisition is a million times more desirable than a draft pick.

Sadly though, both pools are rather weak :(

[CAVSS]

I got a good laugh out of that. Newtonites are always looking for a new level of rock bottom

I love how everyone continues to not read all my posts in this thread; then take a single sentence out of context. Then calling me a Newtonite amongst other things regarding me wanting Newton. When I have clearly said (for the third time now in this thread alone) I AM NOT SOLD ON A SINGLE QUARTER BACK IN THIS DRAFT. I trust our FO to evaluate these guys and chose the best QB. Being aliterate is becoming of no one.

Of course no one is leaving this team because we didn't draft a single player. What will cause people to leave (Smitty, Peppers) is the continued lack of interest this franchise has shown in going after a true franchise QB and therefore become a true contender. We are already losing guys because of this in my opinion. Great players want a ring.

From a coaches perspective my ideal situation would be to pick up Palmer and a second in a trade with Cinci. Pick up PP7 or Green (depending on where I think SS is gonna land) Because they have the best chance of making an immediate impact. (DT's almost always take years to develop)

But I'm not a coach. Im a fan, and as a fan I want to take a shot at a franchise QB.

[mav1234]

You really think Peppers left because he was unhappy with our quarterback play...?

[CAVSS]

You really think Peppers left because he was unhappy with our quarterback play...?

I certainly think it contributed to his lack of interest in being here. He was 100% different player at the end of 09 when Moore was playing well. Other things happened after that and ultimately the front office made the decision for him, but I have no doubt that if we were headed in the right direction with a franchise guy he would have wanted to stay. Just my opinion though.

[MHS831]

I think people are failing to make the distinction between first round pick and firrst overall pick. If you need a qb and you have the 10th pick, for example, and a player like Cam is on the board, you take him--assuming the red flags do not scare you off. He is a talented prjoect--nothing more. But drafting a talented prjoect with the top pick in the draft? Take the BPA. That is why the Panthers' list is 7-9 players. They should be deciding on the best player. I do not know how you could have been at the Auburn pro day yesterday and walked away feeling that Cam is the best prospect from Auburn. Fairley had to get them thinking. He was impressive.

[JawnyBlaze]

Boo to Fairley. Say no to Fairley. I'd probably even take Gabbert over him...

[MHS831]

Boo to Fairley. Say no to Fairley. I'd probably even take Gabbert over him...

Ha! That is what I said before the pro day--and I still do. My point is, Cam wasn't the best Auburn Tiger yesterday. #1 draft pick?

Nope.

[monstercat]

I certainly think it contributed to his lack of interest in being here. He was 100% different player at the end of 09 when Moore was playing well. Other things happened after that and ultimately the front office made the decision for him, but I have no doubt that if we were headed in the right direction with a franchise guy he would have wanted to stay. Just my opinion though.

I agree with you. It's the same way with Steve Smith too. There is no way in hell he would be talking about being traded if he thought the Panthers had a QB who has a decent chance of winning a Superbowl, and I don't think he will be happy with any of these veteran FA's either, except for maybe McNabb.

Everybody wants to play for a winner. That's just the way it is, and Billy Volek is not going to excite the fanbase or the players, unless he's there to mentor a rookie with some real potential.

I'm not saying that I know we will draft a QB or that it will be Cam Newton, but I'm getting pretty darn tired of settling for mediocrity and I guarantee you there are a lot of people out there who feel the same way. If that makes me a nut hugger, then so be it.

[panthers55]

I think people are failing to make the distinction between first round pick and firrst overall pick. If you need a qb and you have the 10th pick, for example, and a player like Cam is on the board, you take him--assuming the red flags do not scare you off. He is a talented prjoect--nothing more. But drafting a talented prjoect with the top pick in the draft? Take the BPA. That is why the Panthers' list is 7-9 players. They should be deciding on the best player. I do not know how you could have been at the Auburn pro day yesterday and walked away feeling that Cam is the best prospect from Auburn. Fairley had to get them thinking. He was impressive.

We understand the difference we just don't think it is as big of a deal as you do given the liklihood of a new rookie wage scale. The problem with a first overall pick in years past is that the money between the 1st pick and the 32nd pick could be the difference between 75 million and 20 million. So it wasn't the draft position so much as the money involved.

With that evening out quite a bit with the rookie scale the difference might be 20 million versus 10 million which isn't that big of a deal.

If you can't trade down and historically that has been hard (might be easier this year) and you pick at 1, there is little difference between that and picking 10. Every team gets 1 pick in the first round and all that changes is the order.

If a QB is good enough to pick up at number 10 then he is good enough to pick up at 1 if he is who you want and he won't be there when you pick again. If you try and trade down to 10 where he is supposed to go and someone picks him early at number 5, then you get screwed.

Newton is a project like all rookie quarterbacks but he is the best one in the draft. Because he is raw people's opinion of him vary widely. But there are just as many guys like Gil Brandt who think you jump on him at number 1 as there are guys like Mayock who think he will go between 10-15. If you need a franchise quarterback and he is there when you pick, for me it is no brainer, you pull the trigger. Other people like you apparently think that picking him 5 slots ahead of where he is projected to go is a bad thing. To each his own.

Fairley is a beast and I wouldn't be unhappy if we picked him up. What I would be unhappy with is going into camp with Moore and Clausen as our projected starters with a washed up veteran backup holding a clipboard. Could I live with it for a year?? Only if I knew we had someone like newton coming behind them who has the potential to be a franchise guy.

[Catalyst]

I legitimately do consider Newton the best player in this draft. Maybe not right now, but in 5 years when we look back and ask who the best player in this class was, I believe it'll be Cam Newton.

[monstercat]

I legitimately do consider Newton the best player in this draft. Maybe not right now, but in 5 years when we look back and ask who the best player in this class was, I believe it'll be Cam Newton.

That is exactly the reason that Casserly took Mario Williams over Reggie Bush. Everybody knew that Bush would make that immediate impact that fans love so much, but Casserly knew that there was a much better chance that Williams would still be there 7-10 years later, and that he would be a much better player 3-4 years in to it.

To me, this is all about the long term investment, and a QB can man his position for 15+ years, if he can stay realitively healthy.

[Catalyst]

Exactly. This "who can start right away?" stuff is pointless to me. It's all about who will be the best player down the stretch.

[teeray]

We understand the difference we just don't think it is as big of a deal as you do given the liklihood of a new rookie wage scale. The problem with a first overall pick in years past is that the money between the 1st pick and the 32nd pick could be the difference between 75 million and 20 million. So it wasn't the draft position so much as the money involved.

With that evening out quite a bit with the rookie scale the difference might be 20 million versus 10 million which isn't that big of a deal.

If you can't trade down and historically that has been hard (might be easier this year) and you pick at 1, there is little difference between that and picking 10. Every team gets 1 pick in the first round and all that changes is the order.

If a QB is good enough to pick up at number 10 then he is good enough to pick up at 1 if he is who you want and he won't be there when you pick again. If you try and trade down to 10 where he is supposed to go and someone picks him early at number 5, then you get screwed.

Newton is a project like all rookie quarterbacks but he is the best one in the draft. Because he is raw people's opinion of him vary widely. But there are just as many guys like Gil Brandt who think you jump on him at number 1 as there are guys like Mayock who think he will go between 10-15. If you need a franchise quarterback and he is there when you pick, for me it is no brainer, you pull the trigger. Other people like you apparently think that picking him 5 slots ahead of where he is projected to go is a bad thing. To each his own.

Fairley is a beast and I wouldn't be unhappy if we picked him up. What I would be unhappy with is going into camp with Moore and Clausen as our projected starters with a washed up veteran backup holding a clipboard. Could I live with it for a year?? Only if I knew we had someone like newton coming behind them who has the potential to be a franchise guy.

I would just add that nearly ALL QBs are drafted higher than their rankings. It is a rarity that a QB gets drafted where he was rated.

But you do have situations like Rodgers and Clausen but generally speaking they are taken higher than their perceived rating bc they are a more important commodity.

[section543]

If we end up being forced to pick #1, this may be one of those drafts where any one of 5-8 guys could approach us and be selected #1 in exchange for a more "reasonable" contract.

I'm not sold on any of them as being head and shoulders above another- much less worth multi millions of dollars.

What if Cam came to us and accepted a very incentive-laiden contract which put the risk on him? Of course, that's what all rookie contracts should be IMO.