Report: Newton leaves Auburn for NFL Draft (1 Viewer)

[JohnnyU]

The Montgomery Advertiser's Jay G. Tate reports Auburn QB Cameron Newton will bypass his senior season to enter the 2011 NFL Draft.

Fresh off leading the Tigers to a 22-19 victory over Oregon in the BCS National Championship game, Newton is shaping up as this year's lightning rod first-rounder. The Heisman Trophy winner finished his junior season with 2,854 passing yards, 66.1 percent completion rate and 30 passing TDs to go with 1,473 rushing yards and 20 more scores. He's just the third player in major college football history to pass for 20 touchdowns and rush for 20 touchdowns in a single season. Predictions for Newton have ranged from revolutionizing the QB position in the NFL to transitioning to tight end. There's no question that he has elite arm strength packaged with ideal size and athleticism. Expect to hear endless comparisons to Tim Tebow and Vince Young over the next few months. Jan. 13 - 8:50 pm et

Source: Jay G. Tate on Twitter

 

[pantherclub]

I would be willing to bet just about any amount of money that after the dust settles his career will be somewhere above Jamarcos Russell and below Vince young.

 

[Breesisdaman]

I would be willing to bet just about any amount of money that after the dust settles his career will be somewhere above Jamarcos Russell and below Vince young.

I would be willing to bet he surpases Vick. What are the stakes?

 

[pantherclub]

I would be willing to bet just about any amount of money that after the dust settles his career will be somewhere above Jamarcos Russell and below Vince young.

I would be willing to bet he surpases Vick. What are the stakes?

Surpassing Vick doesnt really seem like a grand feat.My point is I dont think he will ever be a good NFL QB. Are you saying he is going to be really good or what? Not sure what you are comparing him to.

 

[shortbow]

I would be willing to bet just about any amount of money that after the dust settles his career will be somewhere above Jamarcos Russell and below Vince young.

I would be willing to bet he surpases Vick. What are the stakes?

Which Vick, the unsuccessful ATL Vick, or the Explosive but unsuccessful PHI Vick? Or Dog Fighting Incarceration Vick?I wouldn't bet either way on any of those.

 

[jojoh07]

I would be willing to bet just about any amount of money that after the dust settles his career will be somewhere above Jamarcos Russell and below Vince young.

I would be willing to bet he surpases Vick. What are the stakes?

Surpassing Vick doesnt really seem like a grand feat.My point is I dont think he will ever be a good NFL QB. Are you saying he is going to be really good or what? Not sure what you are comparing him to.

you are not alone on that , Overall not a good qb class at all

 

[phillyphan07]

I would be willing to bet just about any amount of money that after the dust settles his career will be somewhere above Jamarcos Russell and below Vince young.

He seems to actually enjoy playing football which puts him above both of those guys.... of course they both seemed to like football in college (especially V Young) so what do I know?

 

[pantherclub]

I would be willing to bet just about any amount of money that after the dust settles his career will be somewhere above Jamarcos Russell and below Vince young.

He seems to actually enjoy playing football which puts him above both of those guys.... of course they both seemed to like football in college (especially V Young) so what do I know?

This post makes no sense.

 

[ninerfanatic492000]

I would be willing to bet just about any amount of money that after the dust settles his career will be somewhere above Jamarcos Russell and below Vince young.

I would be willing to bet he surpases Vick. What are the stakes?

Which Vick, the unsuccessful ATL Vick, or the Explosive but unsuccessful PHI Vick? Or Dog Fighting Incarceration Vick?I wouldn't bet either way on any of those.

while vick is/was a scumbag, can't argue with the wins he put up on what weren't exactly stellar falcon squads. of course he didn't win ring, but hell alot of QB's didn't accomplish that.

 

[RustyFA2]

I only watched 3 of his games this year but it sure seemed like he locked onto his first receiver. If he was not open he ran. I give him credit that he did not throw picks but he will not be able to tuck it every time at the professional level.

By the championship game I was exclusively watching this aspect. He never gets to his second read. Ever. I would imagine that only 5 teams have him as a first round grade. One of those will take him between 8-14.

I think another year at school would have helped. i don't know if the NCAA would have let it happen though. Hypocrites that they are.

 

[AcerFC]

I saw an interesting segment on college football today a few weeks ago that profiled Newton and the clemson offense

They showed how Clemson tailored the offense to suit Newton and allow him to not really make any tough decisions. They said it is exactly what Texas did with Young

Dont know how that plays out but thought it was pretty interesting

 

[The Real Hipster Doofus]

I saw an interesting segment on college football today a few weeks ago that profiled Newton and the clemson offenseThey showed how Clemson tailored the offense to suit Newton and allow him to not really make any tough decisions. They said it is exactly what Texas did with YoungDont know how that plays out but thought it was pretty interesting

Wow, so the guy is so good that he gets other teams to change their offenses to make things easier for him? Interesting....

 

[NateDawg]

I saw an interesting segment on college football today a few weeks ago that profiled Newton and the clemson offenseThey showed how Clemson tailored the offense to suit Newton and allow him to not really make any tough decisions. They said it is exactly what Texas did with YoungDont know how that plays out but thought it was pretty interesting

Uhhh...Newton played for Auburn. Sounds like Clemson wasted ALOT of time this year. That might explain alot actually

 

[faulknromos]

Is the going rate still 200k?

 

[Judge Smails]

To me, his stock dropped big time the other night. Wouldn't be excited by my team taking him in the first 3 rounds.

 

[millerarm]

The Heisman Trophy winner finished his junior season with 2,854 passing yards, 66.1 percent completion rate and 30 passing TDs to go with 1,473 rushing yards and 20 more scores.

Dang, that's a well-written sentence.

 

[spider321]

How much of a pay cut is Newton taking by going to the NFL?

 

[shader]

I would be willing to bet just about any amount of money that after the dust settles his career will be somewhere above Jamarcos Russell and below Vince young.

I would be willing to bet he surpases Vick. What are the stakes?

Which Vick, the unsuccessful ATL Vick, or the Explosive but unsuccessful PHI Vick? Or Dog Fighting Incarceration Vick?I wouldn't bet either way on any of those.

How was Vick unsuccessful in Philly this year?

 

[AcerFC]

I saw an interesting segment on college football today a few weeks ago that profiled Newton and the clemson offenseThey showed how Clemson tailored the offense to suit Newton and allow him to not really make any tough decisions. They said it is exactly what Texas did with YoungDont know how that plays out but thought it was pretty interesting

Wow, so the guy is so good that he gets other teams to change their offenses to make things easier for him? Interesting....

I saw an interesting segment on college football today a few weeks ago that profiled Newton and the clemson offenseThey showed how Clemson tailored the offense to suit Newton and allow him to not really make any tough decisions. They said it is exactly what Texas did with YoungDont know how that plays out but thought it was pretty interesting

Uhhh...Newton played for Auburn. Sounds like Clemson wasted ALOT of time this year. That might explain alot actually

 

[lod01]

I would be willing to bet just about any amount of money that after the dust settles his career will be somewhere above Jamarcos Russell and below Vince young.

Yep. Just keep this hack away from my WR's in Carolina and Miami. All my other guys are safely with top of the line passers.

 

[Phlash]

He did not look great in the National Championship game. He didn't appear to have a real fast release which bothers me.

 

[Jason Wood]

We know that barring a real washout in terms of his interviews or workout, Newton is going to be a reasonably high pick, certainly a 1st rounder in a draft that's lacking a diamond class QB prospect yet has plenty of teams that can use a young QB to groom. Whether it's rational or not, the stuff that went on this year in terms of his recruiting would scare me. If I were a GM, I would need to have confidence in the work my security team does to really get to the bottom of what kind of kid Newton is. Even if you accept at face value his explanations for things, I can't look at a stolen laptop (whether he bought it off someone or stole it himself is irrelevant to me), three instances of cheating which likely had him facing expulsion, or this recruiting situation where his "father" took sole responsibility, that speaks to a lot of entitlement, and a belief that rules don't apply. Is that the kind of guy I want running my team? The face of my franchise?

I'm sure a lot of apologists will now explain to me why I'm being overly critical of the kid without actually knowing him. But assuming there aren't major changes to the way rookies are compensated, there is no way I can justify spending millions, if not tens of millions, on a kid who will play arguably the most important role on my team, if he's got major character questions.

 

[footballsavvy]

His release is fine. his only question mark is his ability or read and react to NFL defenses. Make no mistake, this is the #1 question qith any QB coming out of college. This is why prototypical built QBs coming out of a pro-style offense get drafted so high.

You people who are proclaiming "Cam will suck" are being a bit short sighted, and elementary in your prognastication. Everyone know's that in a Gus Malzahn offense the QB isn't required to make a lot of fast reads on the defense. This is why his offense is so damned successful at the college - you don't need Peyton Manning to run it effectively.

Cam is a freak. Scouts know this. What they don't know is if he can read and react to an NFL defense. Again, same thing with almost every QB coming out of a college offense. A lot of NFL teams are going to be willing to take the risk on him because the payout will be high if he is successful.

Ayone comparing him to Vince Young or JaMarcus Russel is not really posting anything of value to the readers here. What does that even mean? And why stop there? First he's twice the runner and twice the power of both of those guys. JaMarcus is a lazy bum, and Young is a head case. At least Cam has enough sense to know what he needed to do to get his life back on track. It's also obvious form his demeanor around his teammates, fans, and media that he is much more of a people person and much more likely to be a leader on an NFL team than Russel or Young ten times over again. He's also proven to be able to play extremely effectively through lots of turmoil and distractions.

If he lands somewhere with a solid QB coach, his success in the NFL will come sooner than later.

Another aspect you guys are completely underestimating is how much easier it is to pass the ball when you provide a big run threat from your QB. you do not have to be Peyton Manning to be successful when the opposing defense has to practically dedicate one of their 11 players as a QB spy. The effect this has can't be overstated and is why scouts and coaches drool over a running QB who can throw the ball (hence why Luck was going to go hands down #1 overall... and will next year).

 

[shadyridr]

I would be willing to bet just about any amount of money that after the dust settles his career will be somewhere above Jamarcos Russell and below Vince young.

Agreed. Going on record that he will be a collosal bust

 

[Jason Wood]

His release is fine. his only question mark is his ability or read and react to NFL defenses. Make no mistake, this is the #1 question qith any QB coming out of college. This is why prototypical built QBs coming out of a pro-style offense get drafted so high.

You people who are proclaiming "Cam will suck" are being a bit short sighted, and elementary in your prognastication. Everyone know's that in a Gus Malzahn offense the QB isn't required to make a lot of fast reads on the defense. This is why his offense is so damned successful at the college - you don't need Peyton Manning to run it effectively.

Cam is a freak. Scouts know this. What they don't know is if he can read and react to an NFL defense. Again, same thing with almost every QB coming out of a college offense. A lot of NFL teams are going to be willing to take the risk on him because the payout will be high if he is successful.

Ayone comparing him to Vince Young or JaMarcus Russel is not really posting anything of value to the readers here. What does that even mean? And why stop there? First he's twice the runner and twice the power of both of those guys. JaMarcus is a lazy bum, and Young is a head case. At least Cam has enough sense to know what he needed to do to get his life back on track. It's also obvious form his demeanor around his teammates, fans, and media that he is much more of a people person and much more likely to be a leader on an NFL team than Russel or Young ten times over again. He's also proven to be able to play extremely effectively through lots of turmoil and distractions.

If he lands somewhere with a solid QB coach, his success in the NFL will come sooner than later.

Another aspect you guys are completely underestimating is how much easier it is to pass the ball when you provide a big run threat from your QB. you do not have to be Peyton Manning to be successful when the opposing defense has to practically dedicate one of their 11 players as a QB spy. The effect this has can't be overstated and is why scouts and coaches drool over a running QB who can throw the ball (hence why Luck was going to go hands down #1 overall... and will next year).

As someone that's had my fair share of mobile QBs playing under center for my team, give me a prototypical pocket passer every day of the week. There's a HUGE difference between being a running QB, and being a passing QB that can escape the rush.

 

[footballsavvy]

We know that barring a real washout in terms of his interviews or workout, Newton is going to be a reasonably high pick, certainly a 1st rounder in a draft that's lacking a diamond class QB prospect yet has plenty of teams that can use a young QB to groom. Whether it's rational or not, the stuff that went on this year in terms of his recruiting would scare me. If I were a GM, I would need to have confidence in the work my security team does to really get to the bottom of what kind of kid Newton is. Even if you accept at face value his explanations for things, I can't look at a stolen laptop (whether he bought it off someone or stole it himself is irrelevant to me), three instances of cheating which likely had him facing expulsion, or this recruiting situation where his "father" took sole responsibility, that speaks to a lot of entitlement, and a belief that rules don't apply. Is that the kind of guy I want running my team? The face of my franchise?I'm sure a lot of apologists will now explain to me why I'm being overly critical of the kid without actually knowing him. But assuming there aren't major changes to the way rookies are compensated, there is no way I can justify spending millions, if not tens of millions, on a kid who will play arguably the most important role on my team, if he's got major character questions.

Not sure whatyou mean by apologist... but I can certainly say you are overreacting to some pretty minor stuff there. Everything you are concerned about won't even be a blip on the radar for the scouts. A stolen laptop? Really? lol C'mon man that's nothing. Half the people I graduated with did #### 10x worse than that and now they are all family guys with successful careers. This is the NFL we are talking about. A league riddled with murderers, domestic violence criminals, beating up teammates, incessant use of drugs and alcohol, and yea a big ole sense of entitlement.I'm assuming you were kidding about the cheating thing. But in case you were serious... I can honestly say I don't know a single person that didn't look at a copy of an old test at some point (other than myself of course).... much less have crap programmed in their calculators, write notes in their text books for open book exams, write crap on their hands, bits of paper (cheat sheets) or whatever. These aren't horrible people. They are just young and stupid.My opinion on the pay for play situation is pretty much, whatever. I'm in the crowd that think every top recruit in the nation gets money. Some get caught some don't. You think this has an effect on his ability to get drafted? These are the same scouts and agents that push the ncaa rules to the limits (sometimes to the point of getting hte players in trouble - Dez), for the sake of landing the stud. Again, if he took any money it is simply a rule violation. Its not some kind of morally heinous crime. How many millions of dollars did he generate for Auburn this year? In my opinion, the ncaa shold be doing some soul searching for exploiting these kids for billions of dollars annually.Personally you come accross as having a holier than thou attitiude about yourself, and completely lack the ability to see the forrest for the trees. You should practice the ability of viewing situations from multiple perspectives because I think you would find it leads to a more fulfilling outlook on life, in general.

 

[footballsavvy]

His release is fine. his only question mark is his ability or read and react to NFL defenses. Make no mistake, this is the #1 question qith any QB coming out of college. This is why prototypical built QBs coming out of a pro-style offense get drafted so high.

You people who are proclaiming "Cam will suck" are being a bit short sighted, and elementary in your prognastication. Everyone know's that in a Gus Malzahn offense the QB isn't required to make a lot of fast reads on the defense. This is why his offense is so damned successful at the college - you don't need Peyton Manning to run it effectively.

Cam is a freak. Scouts know this. What they don't know is if he can read and react to an NFL defense. Again, same thing with almost every QB coming out of a college offense. A lot of NFL teams are going to be willing to take the risk on him because the payout will be high if he is successful.

Ayone comparing him to Vince Young or JaMarcus Russel is not really posting anything of value to the readers here. What does that even mean? And why stop there? First he's twice the runner and twice the power of both of those guys. JaMarcus is a lazy bum, and Young is a head case. At least Cam has enough sense to know what he needed to do to get his life back on track. It's also obvious form his demeanor around his teammates, fans, and media that he is much more of a people person and much more likely to be a leader on an NFL team than Russel or Young ten times over again. He's also proven to be able to play extremely effectively through lots of turmoil and distractions.

If he lands somewhere with a solid QB coach, his success in the NFL will come sooner than later.

Another aspect you guys are completely underestimating is how much easier it is to pass the ball when you provide a big run threat from your QB. you do not have to be Peyton Manning to be successful when the opposing defense has to practically dedicate one of their 11 players as a QB spy. The effect this has can't be overstated and is why scouts and coaches drool over a running QB who can throw the ball (hence why Luck was going to go hands down #1 overall... and will next year).

As someone that's had my fair share of mobile QBs playing under center for my team, give me a prototypical pocket passer every day of the week. There's a HUGE difference between being a running QB, and being a passing QB that can escape the rush.

There might be a huge difference, but both are very hard to stop. In a recent interview with one of the leading NFL pass rushers (forgot who it was) he was asked who was the toughest QB to defend, his answer was Tom Brady. He said the second toughest was Vick. His comment was that Tom (in the NE offense) could get the ball out so fast he was impossible to get to. Not only is he quick at making reads, but his offensive system is setup to havethe right guy in the most efficient locations on the field at any given time. Vick, of course is a nightmare for obivous reasons. If you get pressure on him he turns the play into a 30 yard scamper, or floats it down to McCoy (who is typically wide ### open due to the spy on vick). If you don't get to him he rockets the ball downfield to one of his big play WRs.I'm sure if Tom Brady or Peyton Manning was in this draft no one would pass them up for Cam Newton lol. Your comment is obvious. The part you are overlooking is that it is much harder to find a sure bet stud pocket passer in college than it is to find a physical, mobile QB. Cam is a 6'5" 250lb freak built like a WR. We already know he has a good throwing motion and a cannon arm. We know he can run and has tremendous power when he does it. We know these things with 100% certianty. The only unknown is reading/reacting to NFL defenses. Again, you don't have to do it as good at Brady and Manning to be just as successful if you are a powerful, mobile qb.

You can argue your point - and if he ends up sliding to the 4th round, then the professional scouts apprently agree with you and you win.

 

[Jason Wood]

We know that barring a real washout in terms of his interviews or workout, Newton is going to be a reasonably high pick, certainly a 1st rounder in a draft that's lacking a diamond class QB prospect yet has plenty of teams that can use a young QB to groom. Whether it's rational or not, the stuff that went on this year in terms of his recruiting would scare me. If I were a GM, I would need to have confidence in the work my security team does to really get to the bottom of what kind of kid Newton is. Even if you accept at face value his explanations for things, I can't look at a stolen laptop (whether he bought it off someone or stole it himself is irrelevant to me), three instances of cheating which likely had him facing expulsion, or this recruiting situation where his "father" took sole responsibility, that speaks to a lot of entitlement, and a belief that rules don't apply. Is that the kind of guy I want running my team? The face of my franchise?I'm sure a lot of apologists will now explain to me why I'm being overly critical of the kid without actually knowing him. But assuming there aren't major changes to the way rookies are compensated, there is no way I can justify spending millions, if not tens of millions, on a kid who will play arguably the most important role on my team, if he's got major character questions.

Not sure whatyou mean by apologist... but I can certainly say you are overreacting to some pretty minor stuff there. Everything you are concerned about won't even be a blip on the radar for the scouts. A stolen laptop? Really? lol C'mon man that's nothing. Half the people I graduated with did #### 10x worse than that and now they are all family guys with successful careers. This is the NFL we are talking about. A league riddled with murderers, domestic violence criminals, beating up teammates, incessant use of drugs and alcohol, and yea a big ole sense of entitlement.I'm assuming you were kidding about the cheating thing. But in case you were serious... I can honestly say I don't know a single person that didn't look at a copy of an old test at some point (other than myself of course).... much less have crap programmed in their calculators, write notes in their text books for open book exams, write crap on their hands, bits of paper (cheat sheets) or whatever. These aren't horrible people. They are just young and stupid.My opinion on the pay for play situation is pretty much, whatever. I'm in the crowd that think every top recruit in the nation gets money. Some get caught some don't. You think this has an effect on his ability to get drafted? These are the same scouts and agents that push the ncaa rules to the limits (sometimes to the point of getting hte players in trouble - Dez), for the sake of landing the stud. Again, if he took any money it is simply a rule violation. Its not some kind of morally heinous crime. How many millions of dollars did he generate for Auburn this year? In my opinion, the ncaa shold be doing some soul searching for exploiting these kids for billions of dollars annually.Personally you come accross as having a holier than thou attitiude about yourself, and completely lack the ability to see the forrest for the trees. You should practice the ability of viewing situations from multiple perspectives because I think you would find it leads to a more fulfilling outlook on life, in general.

Everyone is entitled to their opinions, but I hardly think taking issue with possession of stolen property, multiple cheating violations that were going to lead to expulsion, and six figure grift is illogical or "holier than thou." Even if you accept your very flawed thesis that many students cheated in college, how over-the-top must one's efforts be to get caught not once, but THRICE to the point where it's so egregious the school has no choice but to consider expulsion even though you're a blue chip recruit that they would do everything they could to make it go away?Before you retort again, please re-read what I said to make sure you understand my position:1) I expect he'll be a high draft pick2) I expect many fans of whatever team that takes him will be happy with the decision3) If I were a GM, I would need to do a LOT of detective work before I would ever consider taking himThat's all. I have no idea if that's a minority opinion, a majority opinion, or somewhere in between. And it says nothing about his abilities on the field, which I'll leave to people who I trust in that department like Matt and Cec and Sig and the other draft pundits.

 

[Captain Fantastic]

Akili Smith.

 

[Breesisdaman]

I would be willing to bet just about any amount of money that after the dust settles his career will be somewhere above Jamarcos Russell and below Vince young.

I would be willing to bet he surpases Vick. What are the stakes?

Surpassing Vick doesnt really seem like a grand feat.My point is I dont think he will ever be a good NFL QB. Are you saying he is going to be really good or what? Not sure what you are comparing him to.

I am and its not just his physical tools. Cam is an intelligent QB that makes smart decisions based on what the defenses give him. Auburns offense is not that simple and Newton managed it to perfection. I think he shines in that type of spread offense but he could probably have done just as well if he stayed on at Florida as their starter. Yes he is a dual threat but he doesnt have to use his feet like some of the other QB's you are mentioning. I think he will be more like a quicker version of Big Ben and will be a damn good QB when it is said and done.

 

[footballsavvy]

Unfortunately we won't know how he turned out for a long time since he's a QB. At best we won't be able to tell much until after his 2012 season.... potentially longer than that.

Maybe I should spend my time digging up all those pre-season Jamaal Charles threads where I was getting bashed for pointing out the high probability of his chances of success this season.

Next pre-season I'll probably have some strong opinions on why Forte, Felix and Best are all being severely undervalued.

Good stuff.

So where do I need to draft Cam in my rookie drafts to ensure that I get him? Without knowing who is going where there's a teir drop off after 1.04, then there's probably only one or two guys I would take before serious Cam consideration at 1.07. Can I be certain he falls to at least 1.07 in the majority of rookie drafts (for dynasty leagues)? Even those of you who think he's certain to bust, surely understand the fantasy implications of an effective running QB, considering the sick margin that vick outpaced every other QB in PPG.

 

[DeCleater]

I see Newton as a bigger, more accurate Donovan McNabb. Newton CAN throw the ball which puts him ahead of VY and he looks smarter and has more drive than JaMarcus (not hard). He will have a much better career than either of those. I think he has a career close to McNabb's, good QB but not the best.

 

[ffldrew]

As an Auburn fan who has seen pretty much every play - he'll do just fine on Sundays with some practice/coaching under his belt - I'd agree with the lock on comments, but I've also seen him do a very good job of looking off safeties from time to time to know he has learned a lot of the little things. The throw he made against Alabama to convert a 4th down on the game winning drive shows me he can deliver a tight sideline ball. There were plenty of times he zipped the ball into some spots that looked like NFL caliber throws. He seemed to improve a lot on throwing the long ball to the right shoulder as the year went on - he can throw it long - a couple went into Darvin Adams hands and were dropped. Of course he missed some in the BCS game - the field was a mess and planting was troublesome the whole night. By playing the spread his footwark in the traditional drop back pocket style will need lots of work.

He's got better speed size and escapability than Josh Freeman - I think he can throw just as as well as Freeman - I'm biased but I know he is a better passer than Freeman was at KSU at this same stage. He played against good defenses in the SEC and dominated . If Josh Freeman was a 17th pick I have to think he goes higher. Depending on where he lands will help determine how good of a career he can have.

ETA - Size is the same as Freeman - I thought Freeman was a bit shorter.

 

[shadyridr]

Freeman reminds me of Big Ben. Newton reminds me of Tim Tebow without the funky arm motion

 

[ryoly]

Daunte Culpepper ???...I mean the Daunte without Randy Moss.....

 

[Faust]

We know that barring a real washout in terms of his interviews or workout, Newton is going to be a reasonably high pick, certainly a 1st rounder in a draft that's lacking a diamond class QB prospect yet has plenty of teams that can use a young QB to groom. Whether it's rational or not, the stuff that went on this year in terms of his recruiting would scare me. If I were a GM, I would need to have confidence in the work my security team does to really get to the bottom of what kind of kid Newton is. Even if you accept at face value his explanations for things, I can't look at a stolen laptop (whether he bought it off someone or stole it himself is irrelevant to me), three instances of cheating which likely had him facing expulsion, or this recruiting situation where his "father" took sole responsibility, that speaks to a lot of entitlement, and a belief that rules don't apply. Is that the kind of guy I want running my team? The face of my franchise?I'm sure a lot of apologists will now explain to me why I'm being overly critical of the kid without actually knowing him. But assuming there aren't major changes to the way rookies are compensated, there is no way I can justify spending millions, if not tens of millions, on a kid who will play arguably the most important role on my team, if he's got major character questions.

Not sure whatyou mean by apologist... but I can certainly say you are overreacting to some pretty minor stuff there. Everything you are concerned about won't even be a blip on the radar for the scouts. A stolen laptop? Really? lol C'mon man that's nothing. Half the people I graduated with did #### 10x worse than that and now they are all family guys with successful careers. This is the NFL we are talking about. A league riddled with murderers, domestic violence criminals, beating up teammates, incessant use of drugs and alcohol, and yea a big ole sense of entitlement.I'm assuming you were kidding about the cheating thing. But in case you were serious... I can honestly say I don't know a single person that didn't look at a copy of an old test at some point (other than myself of course).... much less have crap programmed in their calculators, write notes in their text books for open book exams, write crap on their hands, bits of paper (cheat sheets) or whatever. These aren't horrible people. They are just young and stupid.My opinion on the pay for play situation is pretty much, whatever. I'm in the crowd that think every top recruit in the nation gets money. Some get caught some don't. You think this has an effect on his ability to get drafted? These are the same scouts and agents that push the ncaa rules to the limits (sometimes to the point of getting hte players in trouble - Dez), for the sake of landing the stud. Again, if he took any money it is simply a rule violation. Its not some kind of morally heinous crime. How many millions of dollars did he generate for Auburn this year? In my opinion, the ncaa shold be doing some soul searching for exploiting these kids for billions of dollars annually.Personally you come accross as having a holier than thou attitiude about yourself, and completely lack the ability to see the forrest for the trees. You should practice the ability of viewing situations from multiple perspectives because I think you would find it leads to a more fulfilling outlook on life, in general.

Everyone is entitled to their opinions, but I hardly think taking issue with possession of stolen property, multiple cheating violations that were going to lead to expulsion, and six figure grift is illogical or "holier than thou." Even if you accept your very flawed thesis that many students cheated in college, how over-the-top must one's efforts be to get caught not once, but THRICE to the point where it's so egregious the school has no choice but to consider expulsion even though you're a blue chip recruit that they would do everything they could to make it go away?Before you retort again, please re-read what I said to make sure you understand my position:1) I expect he'll be a high draft pick2) I expect many fans of whatever team that takes him will be happy with the decision3) If I were a GM, I would need to do a LOT of detective work before I would ever consider taking himThat's all. I have no idea if that's a minority opinion, a majority opinion, or somewhere in between. And it says nothing about his abilities on the field, which I'll leave to people who I trust in that department like Matt and Cec and Sig and the other draft pundits.

So you are saying that he would be a perfect pick for the Eagles?

 

[Faust]

Should Panthers take Cam Newton?

By Pat Yasinskas

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.

 

[TommyGilmore]

I would be willing to bet just about any amount of money that after the dust settles his career will be somewhere above Jamarcos Russell and below Vince young.

I would be willing to bet he surpases Vick. What are the stakes?

Which Vick, the unsuccessful ATL Vick, or the Explosive but unsuccessful PHI Vick?

Which Vick, the three-time Pro Bowl/four-time fantasy stud ATL Vick, or the one-time Pro Bowl/one-time fantasy stud PHI Vick?

 

[Bojang0301]

His release is fine. his only question mark is his ability or read and react to NFL defenses. Make no mistake, this is the #1 question qith any QB coming out of college. This is why prototypical built QBs coming out of a pro-style offense get drafted so high. You people who are proclaiming "Cam will suck" are being a bit short sighted, and elementary in your prognastication. Everyone know's that in a Gus Malzahn offense the QB isn't required to make a lot of fast reads on the defense. This is why his offense is so damned successful at the college - you don't need Peyton Manning to run it effectively. Cam is a freak. Scouts know this. What they don't know is if he can read and react to an NFL defense. Again, same thing with almost every QB coming out of a college offense. A lot of NFL teams are going to be willing to take the risk on him because the payout will be high if he is successful.Ayone comparing him to Vince Young or JaMarcus Russel is not really posting anything of value to the readers here. What does that even mean? And why stop there? First he's twice the runner and twice the power of both of those guys. JaMarcus is a lazy bum, and Young is a head case. At least Cam has enough sense to know what he needed to do to get his life back on track. It's also obvious form his demeanor around his teammates, fans, and media that he is much more of a people person and much more likely to be a leader on an NFL team than Russel or Young ten times over again. He's also proven to be able to play extremely effectively through lots of turmoil and distractions.If he lands somewhere with a solid QB coach, his success in the NFL will come sooner than later. Another aspect you guys are completely underestimating is how much easier it is to pass the ball when you provide a big run threat from your QB. you do not have to be Peyton Manning to be successful when the opposing defense has to practically dedicate one of their 11 players as a QB spy. The effect this has can't be overstated and is why scouts and coaches drool over a running QB who can throw the ball (hence why Luck was going to go hands down #1 overall... and will next year).

His sample size is really small to be this sold on him. Vince Young is a perfectly acceptable comparison, IMO. Same size, similar stats for their junior years, small sample sizes for both coming out of school. He does seem to me to have better running ability than Young but I would not call him miles ahead of him as a passer. Fact of the matter is this kid is a project. He will not come in and make the reads necessary to make it in the next level and will quickly learn that everyone in the NFL is fast. This guy needs 2 or 3 years of grooming and making him a first rounder and forcing him into a bad situation will not help his growth. I think he CAN be successful, even highly so but like so many before him he isn't going to change the position and he won't light the league up on natural ability alone. If a team grabs him with no intention of grooming him and throwing him to the fire I wouldn't touch him or the WR's he's throwing to in a fantasy league.

 

[Bojang0301]

I would be willing to bet just about any amount of money that after the dust settles his career will be somewhere above Jamarcos Russell and below Vince young.

I would be willing to bet he surpases Vick. What are the stakes?

Which Vick, the unsuccessful ATL Vick, or the Explosive but unsuccessful PHI Vick?

Which Vick, the three-time Pro Bowl/four-time fantasy stud ATL Vick, or the one-time Pro Bowl/one-time fantasy stud PHI Vick?

The ATL version of Vick was not a stud despite his end of year totals. He was inconsistent and while he could win you a game by his play alone he could also lose you a game by his play alone. Vick is a once a generation talent. No way Newton is as fast or has as much of an arm as Vick.

 

[TommyGilmore]

The ATL version of Vick was not a stud despite his end of year totals. He was inconsistent and while he could win you a game by his play alone he could also lose you a game by his play alone.

Oh. So he was just like 95% of fantasy quarterbacks. Good to know. Because all this time I thought that his presence on my roster guaranteed a win every week. No wonder I could never go undefeated playing this game!

 

[Iwannabeacowboybaby!]

We know that barring a real washout in terms of his interviews or workout, Newton is going to be a reasonably high pick, certainly a 1st rounder in a draft that's lacking a diamond class QB prospect yet has plenty of teams that can use a young QB to groom. Whether it's rational or not, the stuff that went on this year in terms of his recruiting would scare me. If I were a GM, I would need to have confidence in the work my security team does to really get to the bottom of what kind of kid Newton is. Even if you accept at face value his explanations for things, I can't look at a stolen laptop (whether he bought it off someone or stole it himself is irrelevant to me), three instances of cheating which likely had him facing expulsion, or this recruiting situation where his "father" took sole responsibility, that speaks to a lot of entitlement, and a belief that rules don't apply. Is that the kind of guy I want running my team? The face of my franchise?I'm sure a lot of apologists will now explain to me why I'm being overly critical of the kid without actually knowing him. But assuming there aren't major changes to the way rookies are compensated, there is no way I can justify spending millions, if not tens of millions, on a kid who will play arguably the most important role on my team, if he's got major character questions.

Mike Vick is the QB of Philadelphia and I think most would agree he's got some major character issues. Do you think Philly will try and sign him knowing this? Do you yourself as a fan think it's wise for Philly to support Mike Vick and any baggage he brings along with his talents.I personally I don't think Cam Newton is a great pro prospect at QB, I wouldn't spend a 1st rounder on him. But you're right, teams would be smart to do their homework on his background before just taking him relatively high in the draft.

 

[Road Dogg]

We know that barring a real washout in terms of his interviews or workout, Newton is going to be a reasonably high pick, certainly a 1st rounder in a draft that's lacking a diamond class QB prospect yet has plenty of teams that can use a young QB to groom. Whether it's rational or not, the stuff that went on this year in terms of his recruiting would scare me. If I were a GM, I would need to have confidence in the work my security team does to really get to the bottom of what kind of kid Newton is. Even if you accept at face value his explanations for things, I can't look at a stolen laptop (whether he bought it off someone or stole it himself is irrelevant to me), three instances of cheating which likely had him facing expulsion, or this recruiting situation where his "father" took sole responsibility, that speaks to a lot of entitlement, and a belief that rules don't apply. Is that the kind of guy I want running my team? The face of my franchise?I'm sure a lot of apologists will now explain to me why I'm being overly critical of the kid without actually knowing him. But assuming there aren't major changes to the way rookies are compensated, there is no way I can justify spending millions, if not tens of millions, on a kid who will play arguably the most important role on my team, if he's got major character questions.

Mike Vick is the QB of Philadelphia and I think most would agree he's got some major character issues. Do you think Philly will try and sign him knowing this? Do you yourself as a fan think it's wise for Philly to support Mike Vick and any baggage he brings along with his talents.I personally I don't think Cam Newton is a great pro prospect at QB, I wouldn't spend a 1st rounder on him. But you're right, teams would be smart to do their homework on his background before just taking him relatively high in the draft.

There's a differencePhilly took a chance on vick with a cheap contract, and he has proven that he has some ability to play well at an NFL record, and they can evaluate his character based on working with him for 2 yearsin spite of all that his character will be an issue discussed when they decide how to proceed

 

[Jason Wood]

We know that barring a real washout in terms of his interviews or workout, Newton is going to be a reasonably high pick, certainly a 1st rounder in a draft that's lacking a diamond class QB prospect yet has plenty of teams that can use a young QB to groom. Whether it's rational or not, the stuff that went on this year in terms of his recruiting would scare me. If I were a GM, I would need to have confidence in the work my security team does to really get to the bottom of what kind of kid Newton is. Even if you accept at face value his explanations for things, I can't look at a stolen laptop (whether he bought it off someone or stole it himself is irrelevant to me), three instances of cheating which likely had him facing expulsion, or this recruiting situation where his "father" took sole responsibility, that speaks to a lot of entitlement, and a belief that rules don't apply. Is that the kind of guy I want running my team? The face of my franchise?I'm sure a lot of apologists will now explain to me why I'm being overly critical of the kid without actually knowing him. But assuming there aren't major changes to the way rookies are compensated, there is no way I can justify spending millions, if not tens of millions, on a kid who will play arguably the most important role on my team, if he's got major character questions.

Mike Vick is the QB of Philadelphia and I think most would agree he's got some major character issues. Do you think Philly will try and sign him knowing this? Do you yourself as a fan think it's wise for Philly to support Mike Vick and any baggage he brings along with his talents.I personally I don't think Cam Newton is a great pro prospect at QB, I wouldn't spend a 1st rounder on him. But you're right, teams would be smart to do their homework on his background before just taking him relatively high in the draft.

All things being equal, I certainly would prefer Mike Vick to be quarterbacking another team. But as Road Dogg pointed out, the Eagles took next to no financial risk in bringing Vick aboard. Were we talking about Newton as a mid round QB where you guarantee him very little, I don't think the character issues are as worrisome because if he's a problem, you jettison him without hurting the franchise.

 

[faulknromos]

I see Newton as a bigger, more accurate Donovan McNabb. Newton CAN throw the ball which puts him ahead of VY and he looks smarter and has more drive than JaMarcus (not hard). He will have a much better career than either of those. I think he has a career close to McNabb's, good QB but not the best.

lol this is stupid

 

[Bojang0301]

The ATL version of Vick was not a stud despite his end of year totals. He was inconsistent and while he could win you a game by his play alone he could also lose you a game by his play alone.

Oh. So he was just like 95% of fantasy quarterbacks. Good to know. Because all this time I thought that his presence on my roster guaranteed a win every week. No wonder I could never go undefeated playing this game!

Oh that's right that's why I don't respond to you.

 

[Jason Wood]

I see Newton as a bigger, more accurate Donovan McNabb. Newton CAN throw the ball which puts him ahead of VY and he looks smarter and has more drive than JaMarcus (not hard). He will have a much better career than either of those. I think he has a career close to McNabb's, good QB but not the best.

lol this is stupid

Hey faulknromos,I wanted to take a second to use your post as an example, not that you're by any means the only one guilty of this. To what end does your post enrich the conversation? Presumably what you mean to say is that you disagree with DeCleater's view on Newton, and think comparing him to McNabb is inaccurate. There are lots of ways you can say that which stand to further the conversation. But by chiming in with a base insult, all you're doing is creating a negative reaction, putting DeCleater in the defensive, and making this thread less enjoyable as people jump in and try to follow the string.

Let's remember that common courtesy plays a role in our internet exchanges just as they do our real life ones.

Thanks.

 

[faulkfan]

His release is fine. his only question mark is his ability or read and react to NFL defenses. Make no mistake, this is the #1 question qith any QB coming out of college. This is why prototypical built QBs coming out of a pro-style offense get drafted so high.

You people who are proclaiming "Cam will suck" are being a bit short sighted, and elementary in your prognastication. Everyone know's that in a Gus Malzahn offense the QB isn't required to make a lot of fast reads on the defense. This is why his offense is so damned successful at the college - you don't need Peyton Manning to run it effectively.

Cam is a freak. Scouts know this. What they don't know is if he can read and react to an NFL defense. Again, same thing with almost every QB coming out of a college offense. A lot of NFL teams are going to be willing to take the risk on him because the payout will be high if he is successful.

Ayone comparing him to Vince Young or JaMarcus Russel is not really posting anything of value to the readers here. What does that even mean? And why stop there? First he's twice the runner and twice the power of both of those guys. JaMarcus is a lazy bum, and Young is a head case. At least Cam has enough sense to know what he needed to do to get his life back on track. It's also obvious form his demeanor around his teammates, fans, and media that he is much more of a people person and much more likely to be a leader on an NFL team than Russel or Young ten times over again. He's also proven to be able to play extremely effectively through lots of turmoil and distractions.

If he lands somewhere with a solid QB coach, his success in the NFL will come sooner than later.

Another aspect you guys are completely underestimating is how much easier it is to pass the ball when you provide a big run threat from your QB. you do not have to be Peyton Manning to be successful when the opposing defense has to practically dedicate one of their 11 players as a QB spy. The effect this has can't be overstated and is why scouts and coaches drool over a running QB who can throw the ball (hence why Luck was going to go hands down #1 overall... and will next year).

When you say he can't be compared to Young and Russell because what you believe to be their flaws I am wondering how you know Cam doesn't possess these same issues. Young was a media darling who smiled when he was supposed to smile and was humble when he needed to be humble. His head case issues seemed to come up since arriving in the NFL. Russell did show signs of being lazy, but it wasn't a foregone conclusion that this was a personality type of his or just the effects of being a college superstar.The point is that none of us know what this kid will be like and truthfully there are more examples of QBs with question marks about their ability to read defenses failing than succeeding.

Finally, when exactly did he get his life back on track and what in the world makes you suggest that he had the good sense to do so? Is this the same life where his dad negotiated his pay scale for playing college football? I know, I know, he didn't know anything about it. Bull! On the very, very off chance he didn't his dad has to be considered baggage that comes with him.

He is a great swing for the fences for a team who has limited needs at other positions and a couple extra picks, but I would hate to be the GM who stakes his reputation on Cam figuring it out. There is the smell of Akili Smith wafting from his direction.

 

[atl3695]

He is a great swing for the fences for a team who has limited needs at other positions and a couple extra picks, but I would hate to be the GM who stakes his reputation on Cam figuring it out. There is the smell of Akili Smith wafting from his direction.

Besides being big and black, what does Akili Smith have to do with Newton? Smith wasnt nearly as mobile as Newton and neither was Jamarcus Russell.Newton's so-called character issues will have no bearing on how he is viewed by NFL teams. You think NFL teams care that he ended up with a stolen laptop. The accusations against Reggie Bush didnt hurt his draft stock. If it was found out Andrew Luck cheated on his SAT's to get into Stanford, he suddenly is no longer the number 1 pick?NFL teams care about whether you can perform on the field. Newton hasnt been in trouble for DUI, domestic abuse, drugs or anything of the such that would raise flags for an NFL team.So, my question is this. What about his game makes so many think he will flop. He has the arm to make all NFL throws, he is mobile, and his teammates love him. He has played great with all the distractions going on around him.To say he cant read a defense is fine, but the Auburn offense wasnt set up for him to make multiple reads so he may or may not be able to do it at a pro level. Why are so many so certain he will flop? Looking for some kind of concrete analysis not just "gut feel".

 

[comfortably numb]

He is a great swing for the fences for a team who has limited needs at other positions and a couple extra picks, but I would hate to be the GM who stakes his reputation on Cam figuring it out. There is the smell of Akili Smith wafting from his direction.

Besides being big and black, what does Akili Smith have to do with Newton? Smith wasnt nearly as mobile as Newton and neither was Jamarcus Russell.Newton's so-called character issues will have no bearing on how he is viewed by NFL teams. You think NFL teams care that he ended up with a stolen laptop. The accusations against Reggie Bush didnt hurt his draft stock. If it was found out Andrew Luck cheated on his SAT's to get into Stanford, he suddenly is no longer the number 1 pick?NFL teams care about whether you can perform on the field. Newton hasnt been in trouble for DUI, domestic abuse, drugs or anything of the such that would raise flags for an NFL team.So, my question is this. What about his game makes so many think he will flop. He has the arm to make all NFL throws, he is mobile, and his teammates love him. He has played great with all the distractions going on around him.To say he cant read a defense is fine, but the Auburn offense wasnt set up for him to make multiple reads so he may or may not be able to do it at a pro level. Why are so many so certain he will flop? Looking for some kind of concrete analysis not just "gut feel".

I can't recall but didn't many of the question marks he had, and whether or not HOU could sign Bush cause him to drop to #2?Newton just seems like he has enough "smoke" that can make owners think there could be "fire" surrounding him.