Gruden's extended QB Camp w/ Newton (drills included)

[jtm]

It's clear that learning the complexity of NFL offenses will be the biggest challenge for him, I have no concerns about his physical ability to play QB at the NFL level.

Biggest challenge for ANY qb going into the NFL - not just Cam.

[Jpjr]

The simplicity of the offense was pretty concerning as was his diction he was really trying way too hard with that whole "gun" thing. Didn't make him look too eloquent or well spoken.

His physical traits don't concern me at all, he needs smarts way more than speed/strength.

Welcome to Carlolina, JaMarcus...

[Jpjr]

Biggest challenge for ANY qb going into the NFL - not just Cam.

I think most would argue that Clausen's physical shortcomings were his biggest challegne. Cam is attractive because he doesn't have any.

[Cavscout]

After watching that, Cavscout is certain that Cameron will take a loooong time to learn to read defenses.

[Doyle]

I think most would argue that Clausen's physical shortcomings were his biggest challegne. Cam is attractive because he doesn't have any.

At least Cam has some big hands.

[Jpjr]

Cam doesn't need 2 years to effective....just like The Golden Calf of Bristol didn't need 2 years to be functional. Cam probably needs 2 years to really start tapping into his real potential.....but he can start working and being effective much sooner than 2 years imo.

The Golden Calf of Bristol had a good game at the tail end of the season playing a style of football that is very easy to strategize against.

What's funny about The Golden Calf of Bristol (and Cam) is that the expectations are being set so low for two FIRST ROUND picks.

This is my biggest problem with Cam Newton. I think he can be successful in the NFL but who wants a project quarterback with the #1 pick? Haven't we seen enough of those?

[mountainpantherfan]

Cam doesn't need 2 years to effective....just like The Golden Calf of Bristol didn't need 2 years to be functional. Cam probably needs 2 years to really start tapping into his real potential.....but he can start working and being effective much sooner than 2 years imo.

So, is Rivera going to be standing on the sideline with a dry erase board, calling in the plays come game one? Newton said that he never was never asked in his entire career to call plays (complex or not) from the huddle. Now, I don't know what reason you are using but from my perspective Newton is going to have to learn how to work a huddle, how to call plays, how to read defenses, how to audible, adapt to the mental quickness of the NFL and learn a playbook just in order to be above Pike on the depth chart. I don't see how you can draft Newton with the plan being he is going to be ready to step out on a NFL field within one year at minimum.

And he is going to need at least one training camp to go through which is where he is really going to learn a lot more than the sidelines. That might not happen at all in 2011 thus the reason I side two years.

With all of that being said, Big Ben was thought of in the exact same light. He was never to have started a game that first season. But he did and the rest is history. Just remember, Clausen was also never suppose to see the field either his first year.

I'm okay with drafting Newton, because I do trust Hurney and this coaching staff. But I think as fans we have to keep a realistic view.

[Snake]

Most of you guys are seeing the short term. Omgz he gonna need to learns. We ain't gots time for that!!! We super bowl bound baby!!!!!

The fact is its going to take this team at least a year to learn the new system on offence and defense. If there was a time to take a QB is this year. By the time the offense and defense starts to click he will too.

[CRA]

The Golden Calf of Bristol had a good game at the tail end of the season playing a style of football that is very easy to strategize against.

What's funny about The Golden Calf of Bristol (and Cam) is that the expectations are being set so low for two FIRST ROUND picks.

This is my biggest problem with Cam Newton. I think he can be successful in the NFL but who wants a project quarterback with the #1 pick? Haven't we seen enough of those?

The Golden Calf of Bristol was projected as a retard who would take years to be ready to step on a field.....bottom line as a rookie he stepped on the field in SEVERAL games and was a functional QB. In fact you could argue he looked the best of ALL rookie QBs last year.

Cam has the talent....more than any QB in this draft or the past several. You can't pass on that when your team's roster looks like Carolina's.

[CRA]

So, is Rivera going to be standing on the sideline with a dry erase board, calling in the plays come game one? Newton said that he never was never asked in his entire career to call plays (complex or not) from the huddle. Now, I don't know what reason you are using but from my perspective Newton is going to have to learn how to work a huddle, how to call plays, how to read defenses, how to audible, adapt to the mental quickness of the NFL and learn a playbook just in order to be above Pike on the depth chart. I don't see how you can draft Newton with the plan being he is going to be ready to step out on a NFL field within one year at minimum.

And he is going to need at least one training camp to go through which is where he is really going to learn a lot more than the sidelines. That might not happen at all in 2011 thus the reason I side two years.

With all of that being said, Big Ben was thought of in the exact same light. He was never to have started a game that first season. But he did and the rest is history. Just remember, Clausen was also never suppose to see the field either his first year.

I'm okay with drafting Newton, because I do trust Hurney and this coaching staff. But I think as fans we have to keep a realistic view.

you mean Newton is going to have to do what just about every rookie QB coming in to the NFL has to?

Above Pike? Newton could go out there and freestyle it and leafrog Clausen, Pike, Null. AFter a month of absorbing a little.

[Cyclonus]

Then you probably missed the laser-rocket arm at the end.

Hunter Cantwell has a rocket arm too. Maybe he should be our QB of the future....oh wait!

[Mr. Scot]

The bit about the plays being numbered and not complex--didn't scare anyone? When he couldn't tell Gruden a play in terms of the language? Scary to me.

It hasn't gone unnoticed.

PFT: Gruden puts Newton on the spot

Last year, Jon Gruden’s too-bad-he-doesn’t-bring-it-like-that-in-the-broadcast-booth style of pressing incoming rookie quarterbacks adroitly cajoled Jimmy Clausen into placing blame on one of his receivers for a play that resulted in an interception. Mike Mayock of NFL Network concluded that the segment may have hurt Clausen’s draft stock.

This year, Gruden has exposed one of the stated concerns regarding the man widely expected to be the first pick in the draft: Cam Newton.

In a segment from Gruden’s second annual QB Camp playing currently in the perpetual SportsCenter loop, the former Raiders and Bucs coach tries to show Newton how different an NFL offense will be from the one he ran at Auburn.

“I mean, you’re putting me on the — on the spot,” Newton said.

Having already proven his point, Gruden then gave Newton a lifeline. “You guys don’t get in the huddle much though, right?” Gruden said.

Newton welcomed that one. “We really don’t,” Newton said. “And our method is ‘simplistic equals fast.’ It’s so simple as far as, you look to the sideline [and] you see 36 on the board. And that’s a play. And we’re off.”

“That’s awesome,” Gruden said, but presumably not using the word in the same way that, say, Chris Farley would have.

“Let me make this point, though,” Gruden said. “The number one challenge you’re gonna have right away is the verbiage. And just getting comfortable with what we’re calling formations, what we’re calling routes. The alerts. The language. Speaking the language. You’re gonna move to France, and you’re gonna have to speak French, pretty quick. And that’ll be one of the big challenges immediately that you have because you haven’t been in a lot of these huddles, have you?”

The strong possibility that Newton won’t be able to begin his French lessons until September will make it harder for him to play as a rookie, regardless of where he’s drafted. But it still looks like the team that disregarded Clausen’s flaws in 2010 — the Panthers — will take the leap of faith on Newton in 2011.

Newton very well may be able to learn the NFL terminology quickly. That said, Gruden proved in roughly one minute of interrogation (SportsByBrooks has the segment posted if you want to see and hear it) that Newton comes to the NFL with zero knowledge or experience regarding the way that offensive plays are constructed and called.

[mav1234]

At least Cam has some big hands.

amusingly enough his hands weren't that big. Big enough - bigger than Clausen's - at 9 7/8", but still not the monster mitts of some of the other prospects in this draft.

[Mr. Scot]

He did better than Clausen with gruden.

Objectively speaking though, that's not saying much :sosp:

The play complexity in the video doesn't concern me because our FO made that brilliant move of handing out the playbooks. If Cam wasn't able to grasp it to a degree by studying it on his own time then they won't draft him. If we draft him then we can safely assume that our staff feels comfortable with his ability to learn nfl play calling.

Correct.

So you don't care if your teams QB knows how to diagnose a play? Umm, OK.

Seriously :eek:

Whatever you think of Newton, positive or negative, the notion that a QB doesn't need a quick brain in the NFL is pretty silly.

A so-so arm with a super brain gives you Joe Montana.

A gun of an arm with a questionable brain gives you Jeff George.

If I have to choose between those two options, I'll go with the first every time.

There are about a hundred things it takes to succeed as an NFL QB. Miss on just one of them, especially one of the major ones, and you're a risk.