Aaannnnnnnnddd... THREAD! Great stuff Chris. It really amuses me at how many people throw out these knocks against him that are just completely not true. Is Cam Newton a slam dunk future star in the NFL? Of course not. Does he have enough talent to give him a chance to be a star in the NFL? Without a doubt.
I never graded him the 5th round. I said if we take him in the 5th round, I will be fine. 15th over all? Not so much. And how has that pick turned out? Don't give me this BS about him in the playoffs...he is an awful QB with a great supporting cast. Any QB in this league could have taken the Jets to the playoffs and he is simply being carried by that defense and the players around him. You cannot possibly tell me that after these first two seasons Sanchez is worth even a 1st round pick, much less the #3 pick over all. This is why I don't argue with you. You believe in your mind that you are some draft guru and that you belong in the NFL because you "study tape" and say for fact that accuracy is not an issue. I could say the same thing. "I watched extensive tape of Newton and I can say for a fact accuracy is an issue for him". Provide some proof then. Upload all 280 pass attempts of his so everyone can see. I watched Auburn 4-5 times this year, including the NC game and in the NC game he was terrible with locating passes when he needed to move the ball down the field. It also seemed as if almost a third of his passes this year were flats passes or screens. Not impressive. You know damn well that an SEC spread offense is a lot different than say Big12 spread offense or a Pac 10 spread offense. A lot of Auburn's offense wasn't a typical drop back and pass with 4 and 5WR sets all game. It was different formations with zone reads, QB designed runs/draws, screens, flat passes, etc...Nothing compared to a spread offense that Sam Bradford was in at OU. Nah, I've watched them play a few times this year. The talent I am talking about is Michael Dyer, Onterio McCalebb, Mario Fannan, Darvin Adams (yes, Darvin Adams), Emory Blake (yes, Emory Blake), Nick Fairley, their entire offensive line coming back from last season (Lee Zeimba and Ryan Pugh), minus Brandon Mosley, etc... They had their fair share of talent. Don't even act like Cam Newton was by himself on this team. All I am saying is he lacks character issues with that. I never said it takes away from his talent. I am saying that that is another thing to add to Newton's list of negatives. Why bring in a project with the 15th pick? But wait, we wouldn't just be bringing in a project with the 15th pick...we would be bringing in a project with the 15th pick that lacks character. Pacman, Vince Young, TO, Plaxico Burress, Ronald Fields, Joey Porter, Randy Moss, Braylon Edwards, etc...all lack character...Do you want them on your team? Notice how a lot of teams those guys were on had to suffer because of their behavior. The fact that I watched him play 4-5 times this season and has 260+ rush attempts. Say all what you guys want to say about him being a drop back pass-first QB...but you aren't convincing yourselves. These arguments are so dumb, because you will say you watched tape, someone will say they think something, I will say I think he is run-first and it will change noone's opinion. The fact of the matter is, this guy has less than 300 career pass attempts and you guys want to go spend a 15th over all pick on him? That is what mind boggles me the most. Even if he is a pass first QB, how can you want to spend a 1st round pick on a guy with 280 pass attempts? Sanchez at least had closer to 500 career pass attempts in a "more" pro style offense than Newton. Even though, he wasn't worth a 1st. You don't draft a QB in the first round because he has good leadership skills and a strong arm. Look at the Tebow pick. It looks like that front office doesn't even intend on starting him next season. No, I am talking about the 2 sacks Oregon had on him. He doesn't feel pressure from his blind side and zeroes in on his decision too much. ie. the sack where he took off to run, LB stepped up, he dropped back, and was sacked. He didn't even look up, he looked straight, tucked the ball, and had to settle for a sack. Again, dumb argument because apparently I am arguing with a draft wizard here who should have a job with the Dolphins as a scout. I don't want Blaine Gabbert or TJ Yates or Ryan Mallett or any other QB for that matter. I've said it many times. If we are forced to draft a QB, I want us to take Jake Locker. I will now be waiting for you to rebut with how much tape of Locker you have watched and how he has x amount of problems with his mechanics and his focus, etc...and how Newton is far and away better than him, even though he has more than 800 less pass attempts on his resume than Locker does. Can't wait for this one. 2 years*. Funny how Henne is so bad, even though his OC was Dan Henning, our running game averaged 3.8 yards per carry on the season, two of his receivers were Marlon Moore and Roberto Wallace who had a combined more drops than catches, Brian Hartline put on IR after week 11, his starting LT played with 1 arm half the season, he had 4 offensive linemen on IR including 2 starters, he had a former LG starting at C at the end of the year, our 3rd string RT starting at RT at the end of the year, a guard that's never started before coming to Miami starting at LG, and a rookie starting at RG. You name me a QB that has to play with virtually 5 new offensive linemen (3 of which that has never started before this season), 1 TE, and 2 WRs. Oh and a running game that can barely get out of the backfield each play. This would be a great idea! Let's get Cam Newton to come in here and potentially face the same problems Henne did and see how a rookie can handle these problems. But wait guys...he has escapability which means he is guaranteed to take us to the SB. But wait guys...ckparrot studied this guy on film and believes he is a great future QB in the NFL. We have to go with Newton since we have no other needs with this offense! But, we are as close as we have ever been in the past decade to being contender worthy. Our defense is top 5-6 in the NFL, our offense showed potential when we were healthy, and we got rid of our awful coaching staff. There is no way Vick wasn't a run first QB in Atlanta. You cannot possibly think that. I know he isn't a run first QB in Philly, that's why I didn't say he was in Philly. You simply aren't making much sense.
The whole "just because you say you study game film and run a website doesn't mean anything" argument is absolutely ridiculous. Anyone that reads the contributions made by CK throughout the year knows the work he puts in to his evaluations. Of course he's not always right, not even the best NFL GMs are. You don't have to agree with him (I don't always), but trying to insult the credibility of one of the most respected posters on this site is pretty silly.
I don't think anyone is saying that he played with a pee wee team, but I think you'll agree that there isn't another player in the country that you could have plugged in to his position and gotten the same results. It's not like Auburn was more talented without Cam than the teams they played. Also I'm telling you Mario Fannin is not at all an important part of that Offense.
Why should he be? Newton absolutely dominated possibly the toughest college division. People with winning track records often keep on winning. Not always, but its not a stretch either. Having the mentality of a winner, a leader, a guy who can just will his team to a victory is not something that should be overlooked, and its not really something that can be taught either. He has the physical tools and the mental makeup.
He has the physical tools, but he clearly does not have the mental make up. He has made bad decision after bad decision, and since no one ever makes him pay for his bad decisions (read he should have been ruled ineligible due to soliciting money from one university and likely taking money from another), he thinks he can skate on by and continue his ways. On the field, it is very clear he doesn't have the mental make up. He plays in a one read and run offense. He has never been asked to go through progressions. Even if he were mentally capable of such, it would take him at least 2 years to learn how to do it. In his case, it will be at least 6 years before he is even an average passer in the NFL, if he ever gets to that point. The only thing that separates Cam Newton from the likes of Terrell Pryor and Jerrod Johnson is Gus Malzahn. Put Pryor or Johnson on Malzahn's team, and many of you would be fooled into thinking one of them can be a QB in the NFL.
The rumor in Tennessee is that Bud Adams dumped Vince Young because he thinks he can get Cam Newton. However, the rumor is also that Jeff Fisher does not want Cam Newton because he doesn't want to dumb his offense down again like he had to with Vince. The talk is, Fisher wants Mallett because he wants more of a play action/downfield passing game. Good thing there are dumbass owners like Bud Adams who are willing to help keep the Dolphins from making a mistake that would set this franchise back for years. I'm just glad our dumbass owner isn't armed with a high pick.
If it were not for Cam Newton, my Gamecocks would be SEC champs. He single handedly beat us....twice. We lead the SEC in rushing defense and sacks, yet we couldn't touch this guy. He made us look like chumps. I ****ing HATE Cam Newton, which in a sense is giving him props........hack, gag, cough, blech.
As I detailed in another thread Jeff Fisher may be a good coach, his record doesn't indicate that though.
Dan Marino has said if he was working out a QB for an NFL team he would have him show him 100 throws off his back foot. But what does he know...
Well: A) no employee should be able to dictate to the Owner, familarity can breed contempt B) Adams pushed to hard on Young, no player should be that close to Ownership Fisher thought he was entitled, Young was treated as if he were entitled, Adams should have cleared the decks after he recognized his mistake..imvho
Adams acted like he owned the team , VY didn't act like a professional should and Fisher needs a fresh start to prove he is either a good coach or prove for sure he is vastly over rated , imo.
True , you mean like this guy? http://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=...ary+18&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&tbs=isch:1&um=1&itbs=1
Thing is, Adams is no Al Davis, if anythign he has stuck with Coaches for to long. A CFL digression, Braley handed the keys to Wally B however Wally B has produced results and is willing to consider retirement..Fisher has no intention of retiring and Young is not as bright as Casey Printers...
Well Al suprised me by making a smart decision by making it knwn Jason Campbell is his QB for next year. There goes my veteran hope for Miami , that would have been a terrific addition imo. VY can succeed in this league imo if he works hard and applies himself , hell he has succeeded while treating this as casually as 15 year old alone at home while his parents are away for a week. It may not be in Miami but he will get another chance this year, no doubts. Adams fell head over heels for the Texas magic... and VY didn't honour him enough by working hard.
Cam Newton is working with quarterbacks coach George Whitfield Jr leading up to the combine. Whitfield has worked with Big Ben (the QB I think he projects most favorably to). Whitfield tweeted this today: Hmmmmmmm. Maybe those work ethic questions so many people seem to have with Newton might be BS?
http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2011/01/auburns_heisman_winner_working.html The marketing of Cam Newton: Private lessons, a public exhibition and endorsements Published: Sunday, January 30, 2011, 7:02 AM Updated: Sunday, January 30, 2011, 7:07 AM By Charles Goldberg/Auburn Bureau, The Birmingham News, Press-Register, and The Huntsville Times Auburn quarterback Cam Newton has been in San Diego preparing for the NFL draft in April. Has been working with George Whitfield Jr., who worked with Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. (MIKE KITTRELL/Staff Photographer) George Whitfield Jr. says there's a lot to like about Cam Newton, from his playfulness to his willingness to learn, from his aptitude for football to his love for his family. But in the world of big-time sports, Whitfield finds something even more intriguing about the former Auburn quarterback. "No quarterback in the NFL has his physical attributes," he said. That's high praise from Whitfield, who runs a private quarterback school in San Diego, where his 6-foot-6, 250-pound prized pupil arrived last Monday and will be there at least another month as he prepares for the NFL Combine and the NFL Draft. With Newton is his father, Cecil Newton Sr., and his older brother, Cecil Jr., to lend support. "Team Newton," says Whitfield, director of the Whitfield Athletix Few college players have received as much publicity and as much scrutiny in a single season as Newton did on the way to his Heisman Trophy, but Team Newton and Whitfield have devised a plan to keep the quarterback in the public's consciousness. Newton will be in front of the media again on Feb. 10 in San Diego for an unusual exhibition of his skills. NFL scouts can't attend, by rule, but Newton's performance will certainly be analyzed pubilcly. That will play into the marketing of Cam Newton, the quarterback with the Million Dollar Smile who could cash in with endorsements before ever taking a snap in professional football, says CNBC sports business reporter Darren Rovell. Rovell says Newton has already had a big marketing head start. "I do think Cam Newton is a one-of-a-kind in that he's probably the most commercialized college athlete ever," Rovell said. How so? "I'm talking about the 17 Under Armour logos he wore every Saturday." Drop-back passerCam Newton reports to Whitfield each day with football and notebook in hand. One is as important as the other, says Whitfield, whose pupils have included Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger. A typical day consists of Newton learning how to be a drop-back passer after spending his college career in the shotgun, mixed with film study and other classes. George Whitfield Jr. is Cam Newton's private coach "The public really won't see it in his public exhibition, but the NFLcoaches will get to see how much he understands the game when they interview him," Whitfield said. "That will be the part I think people will really be blown away by -- just how well versed he is in the defense's coverages." On the field, Whitfield said, "we're doing some polishing and refinement of footwork and we're tinkering with his gun barrel a little bit on how he's shooting different throws out." ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. projects Newton as the 10th overall pick. Whitfield says the NFL will be impressed with Newton leading up to the draft. "He genuinely wants to get things right. ... He can watch, study, get it and apply it. He's got it down." Whitfield remarked on the togetherness of the Newton clan, which came under the microscope during the season when Cecil Newton Sr. was accused of seeking money from Mississippi State boosters for his son to play in Starkville. Later, Auburn limited Cecil's access to the program. "It's a very tight family. It's like watching three best friends paling around the city," Whitfield said. "I feel sorry for their poor dad. They get on him with jokes and headlocks. It's such a dynamic to see, knowing how much they've gone through. You always feel like you should say, 'Don't you know all of this is going on around you?' But they are happy as a group. They're here to support Cam and me. I call it Team Newton. They've really been great to work with." Cecil Newton Sr. was involved in an unintended headline when his son's media exhibition was first announced. "I hated that his dad's name got stuck to that (as Cecil's idea)," Whitfield said. "His dad bounced it off of me, but the genesis behind that (was Whitfield's). I think Cam is ready. It will be a unique experience. The whole essence of this media workout is to unveil his progress midway through. We're not even halfway through his process. "No one in this camp wants to sit and wait until Cam's Pro Day (at Auburn) to show how clean he is in his drops, how well he's adjusted, how well he's doing. We're committed to have a big test live and in public." The test will drill him on all aspects, Whitfield said. "I'm going to push him to show not only his aptitude for the drop-back game, but his conditioning, his arm conditioning, his power, his touch. I don't know a whole lot of other quarterbacks who would do this." Marketing potentialNewton could be a marketing dream despite the shadow that followed him part of the season. "I don't think the checkered past plays into it," said Rovell, the CNBC sports business reporter. But one thing might: NBA rookies stand to sign bigger endorsement deals than their NFL counterparts simply because of shoe deals. "The NFL cleat business is not as big as basketball shoes, so you're not automatically entitled to an endorsement deal like the top NFL draft pick," Rovell said. "The other thing is the companies are more willing to wait and see how good you are. I wouldn't be surprised if some of these guys say, 'I'm going to be good, so I'm going to bypass your money now.' I'm surprised Tim Tebow didn't do that. His Nike contract is worth about $300,000 a year." Rovell said Newton's endorsement deal could range between $500,000 and $600,000 a year, especially if Under Armour, the brand he played with at Auburn, and Nike, the king of athletic wear, get into a bidding war over the quarterback. Under Armour rode Auburn and Newton all season. Any tight TV shot of the quarterback filled the screen with the company's logos. "Does Under Armour need the continuity that Cam provided them? Or how much will Cam really help Under Armour?" Rovell said. "People have the false feeling that Cam would more likely go with Under Armour because he's used to the brand. History has shown that it doesn't matter who supports you before you turn pro." The key may be if Nike chairman of the board Phil Knight wants to get into a battle with Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank. "The 'X' factor is Phil Knight at Nike," Rovell said. "He doesn't make decisions at Nike on a day-to-day basis, but Phil Knight may want Cam Newton to make sure Under Armour doesn't get him. "He's going to be worth a whole lot more if Nike wants to get into a bidding war just to spite Under Armour." Nike's real growth is in the international market. Under Armour trails there, which may also play into Cam Newton's marketing deal. "Under Armour may be better off finding some cricket player we've never heard of," Rovell said. "In our world, we think Cam Newton is everything, but if they can sign a second-level European soccer entity for the money they spend on Cam Newton, it may help them get into Ireland or Great Britain." Whitfield sees Newton and sees potential. "When you see him on TV you think, 'Does he really smile that much?' He smiles all the time," Whitfield said. "He's playful. He may be messing with receivers or he may be getting on me about something. He's a funny guy. I like that because even when I'm challenging him, he has the temperament that won't allow him to get stuck with some kind of setback. I love that. I've had young guys before who have always been in front-running situations. (They say) 'If I'm doing well, I'm good; if I'm struggling, I'm packing it up.' Cam's disposition won't even allow him that kind of comedown."
Unless people presume Whitfield has been purchased , it certainly appears he has more than a positive outlook on Cam Newton . Nothing wrong with working hard and getting better is there?
If Newton comes off as likable as this article implies then I don't see any chance that he makes it to #15. If you combine the right attitude with the unquestionable physical package, I don't see any way some team doesn't fall in love with him. I think that will trump the Cecil Newton/character questions. I have said that I expect Gabbert to go in the top 5 and I still believe that. It wouldn't surprise me at all if both Gabbert and Newton end up going in the top 5. I certainly expect them both to be gone in the top 10.
It's a strange draft. I could see both of them going top 5, I could envision a scenario where they fall to us. Lot will depend on moves made prior to the draft if the labor situation is organized by then. If not and we go into the draft just like we are now, then all hell may break loose. Some damn good players at heavily needed spots for some of the QB needy teams. Will the Cards pass on a Von Miller for instance? Mayock says no. Bills to me are a big question mark. Gailey and Nix don't really have a track record, and their last pick was a total curveball. Do they go for a QB, or ride the Fitzwagon for a year to take a premier defender in Dareus/Peterson, or the stud wideout Green.
I expect that there will be no FA prior to the draft and even if there is, there's not much available in the QB department. So I expect that all those teams that need a QB now will still need one come draft time.
Well I honestly think that Kerry Collins will be on our radar if Pennington just cannot comeback this time.
