Hunter Cantwell: Looking For A Fresh Start

[CarolinaPanthers8789]

Source: http://www.shelbystar.com/sports/cantwell-39662-think-quarterback.html

Article: CHARLOTTE -- There was a time when some NFL scouts viewed Hunter Cantwell as the top quarterback prospect in the 2009 NFL draft.

But a rough senior season at Louisville - he threw just as many interceptions (16) as touchdown passes as the Cardinals finished 5-7 - and a lack of overall experience knocked him off the radar and eventually landed him among the undrafted.

The Carolina Panthers, always eager to take a chance on a quarterback with a strong arm, moved quickly after the NFL draft to add Cantwell as their fourth quarterback.

Now, he's hoping to make the most out of that opportunity.

Jake Delhomme, who like Cantwell was undrafted, called the rookie a "strong-armed quarterback with a good knowledge of the game," and said Cantwell will get his chances to prove himself this summer in training camp and in the preseason.

"The thing I've always found different here is we give the rookies a chance," Delhomme said. "We truly do. And I think that's a credit to coach Fox. A lot of teams, out of 10 plays, six might go to the starter, three to the backup and one to the third guy. Here everybody gets a lot of reps so everybody is going to get a chance."

Cantwell spent the better part of three seasons playing behind Brian Brohm at Louisville, but excelled in the Cardinals' 35-24 Gator Bowl loss to Virginia Tech as a junior following a late-season injury to Brohm.

He finally got his chance to be Louisville's full-time starter last year as a senior, but instead of bolstering his NFL stock did just the opposite. He took a major step backward, showing poor decision making and accuracy as indicated by the 16 picks, all the while sending his stock spiraling. He's worked to improve his throwing motion in recent months and is anxious to prove he can play on the next level.

"I think I'm a prototypical NFL quarterback with a good arm, good accuracy and a good command in the huddle," said the 6-foot-4, 236-pound Cantwell. "I don't think anything out here is over my head, but that said, there is still a lot to learn being a rookie coming in here with all of these veterans."

Cantwell has shown good arm strength on deep routes, but his accuracy remains a question.

Still, wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad sees some potential in him.

"I think he's shown some maturity and shown he can deal with the veteran pressure," Muhammad said. "He looks comfortable. I think he's out here throwing the ball well. I think every rookie is going to make some mistakes and that is a given, that's expected. But what you want is a guy who can eliminate some of those mistakes and learn from the coaches and not make the same mistakes over and over again. I think he's a guy who can probably do that."

With Delhomme, Josh McCown and Matt Moore returning from last season, Cantwell stands a better chance of making the practice squad than the 53-man roster.

But that's not something he plans to spend much time dwelling on.

"I think just learn and get better every day," Cantwell said when asked about his approach. "You don't want to consume yourself with ‘How many are they going to keep, are they going to keep a practice squad guy, or where am I going to be?' You have to take this as a chance to get better and learn from great coaches and great players. At the end of camp everything will sort itself out."

[OneBadassCat]

MATT MOORE FTW!

But seriously Cantwell seems like a decent project, tall guy with a big arm.

[CharlotteBeer.com]

"The thing I've always found different here is we give the rookies a chance," Delhomme said. "We truly do. And I think that's a credit to coach Fox. A lot of teams, out of 10 plays, six might go to the starter, three to the backup and one to the third guy. Here everybody gets a lot of reps so everybody is going to get a chance."

How many underachieving quarterbacks did we have to cycle through before Matt Moore got his shot?

This guy sounds promising, but I don't see him ever doing anything here. He may challenge Matt Moore for the third quarterback position, but I'm beginning to think neither will ever become a starter. McCown seems to be next in line, at least in the eyes of the powers that be.