Cam Newton had a good game, not a dominant game, but a good game. In my opinion this is the best player in this draft, if he decides to be a part of it. Undoubtedly his dad will want a donation to a local charity or a no-show salary like that of Tony Soprano for Barone Sanitation for anything that Cam does.
If he does go pro he can look forward to possibly playing with Steve Smith in Carolina because little confidence has been placed in the hands of Jimmy Clausen. This is a 6'6". 250lb QB. If he doesn't work out taking snaps he could play defensive end, tight end, or almost any other position with a little bit of coaching. He is mobile, has a strong arm, and appears to have the leadership qualities necessary to lead a team. What team wouldn't draft him given the opportunity?
There are numerous other players ranked higher on Mel Kiper's draft board but will they be drafted ahead of Newton? I think when it comes down to it the top 8 teams are candidates to take a QB in the first round. Pending a trade the Cardinals have no QB and the 5th spot is where I would say he most likely comes off the board. Further down the list are the Vikings at 12th, the spot where Newton is rated against the other players in this draft according to Kiper. Tavaris Jackson has had little trust from the Vikings and the budding Joe Webb seems to be number 1 on the depth chart for now, but I doubt they're in love with that scenario.
The conclusion, Cam Newton goes top 10. No doubt about it. With the CBA still not negotiated he may be tempted to stay in school and go for another National Championship but with the greed that has been demonstrated by his father I doubt he'll be at Auburn next year especially with the size of the signing bonus hes bound to get.
My friend, Cam Newton wasn't even the highest draft pick playing in that game. DT Nick Fairley was the best and most dominant player. Already drawing comparisons to Suh, Fairley is a well oiled machine; Newton is not. He is the next Vince Young.
ReplyDeleteBrett Favre, well there, we haven't heard or seen that name in print for a while so we've got that out of the way. CM, I agree, Nick Fairley absolutely the best and most dominant player on the field Monday night. I think an argument can be made that Newton wasn't even the best quarterback in the game. He is, however, a tremendous athlete but to be successful in the NFL a quarterback needs to have the courage to 'stay' in the pocket and pick apart defenses. His upside is he is a 'Winner' and that is a quality that cannot be measured, that alone will probably propel him into the Top 10 on draft day. There are plenty of desperate teams out there looking for the next franchise QB and someone will take a chance. Buffalo needs some serious help, the Cardinals could be in the hunt and then there are the Titans sitting at #8. If the Titans take him and he ends up looking like another 'athletic' quarterback that won a national championship in college there won't be enough whiskey in Tennessee to drown out the crying. If he drops down to #12 the Vikings just may pull the trigger but the Vikings need help NOW. They have a great nucleus of players and now that they have a 'real' coach they should be in contention for another division championship but they need stability at the QB position. Last season Favre threw 19 interceptions, that's a salary compensation of just under $1.0 million per. For Newton's sake I hope he falls down the draft board so he can develop under an established NFL quarterback. If he ends up in Buffalo, Tennessee or Minnesota the expectations will be too high - too early. The good news will be that, if, he does get thrown into the fire next year and he is less than stellar he can blame it on his rookie status AND as long as he throws less than 19 interceptions he can say (Yes, I'm going to end this post the way I started it) he was still better than the last NFL season of ......... Brett Favre.
ReplyDeleteI see fairley being haynseworth in a few years, He's already a chubby dude, if he doesnt watch his weight he'll eat his way out of relevance. Yes, he lost weight from last season but maintaining his shape will be his biggest obstacle. Newton may not go above Fairley but I still think the lowest he falls is 5th to the cardinals. And a Vince Young comparison is unwarranted. Just watch he'll be worth the pick.
ReplyDeleteThere is no basis for him to become Hanyesworth. Vince Young is worth the pick! Because of Young's childish behavior his skill asset is undervalued. Young has been to two pro bowls, earned a rookie offensive player of the year award, and has a career record as 26-13 when starting. Young was drafted third overall in 2006 and without the metal games would be a solid starter in the NFL. With a college comparison Young excelled where Newton failed. With the game on the line against a favored USC team Young lead the Longhorns to victory. Up 19-11 with a chance to put the Ducks away Newton fumbles the ball changing the complexity of the game. He may go to the Cardinals at 5 because of their need for a QB, but I see him going 12 to Minnesota. Newton's athleticism is obvious and is underrated as a passer, but his lack of experience in college (only started one year) and lack of experience in a a pro system causes concern. I guess all we can do is wait and see but I feel he goes after 5th pick and has potential to prove worthy of going higher.
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