Newton #1?
I for one am missing the NFL already and it's only April. By now teams are usually signing new free agents and excitement for the draft is ramping up. While I am still excited about the upcoming draft, everything is overshadowed by labor talks and now a court decision that is said to take weeks to happen. While I am enjoying the beginning of baseball season, one football related note did catch my attention today and it involves the most known player in this month's upcoming draft.
Cam Newton saw his stock soar throughout this year, leading Auburn to a National Championship. He tore through the SEC and was lavished with awards, the highest being the Heisman Trophy. His draft stock has steadily climbed which brings us to analyst's latest moch drafts where they are saying that the Carolina Panthers are looking to make Newton the number 1 overall pick in this month's draft.
Many have declared that this is a fairly weak draft, especially in the quarterback position. With Andrew Luck of Stanford deciding to stay in school, many believe there is no true number 1 overall player at the quarterback position. While this may be true, it has been shown that the most important player on a team is the quarterback. Those teams who go far in the playoffs generally get great play from their field generals. Any team who aspires to reach championship caliber knows that they need a great quarterback and the draft is usually where you find one.
I can't blame the Panthers for getting excited about Newton and perhaps taking him first overall. He is a physical specimen and many say he can make all the throws. He has shown the ability to run, but has also been compared in body type to a young Ben Roethlisberger regarding his toughness. He showed this year that he is a proven winner and leader in the college ranks, something many teams look for.
Along with the hype there are several questions that surround Newton. He has a shaky past that trails beyond the controversy of this past year at Auburn involving his father. Newton was a top recruit at Florida before he transferred amid theft charges and several allegations of cheating on tests. Critics also question Newton's abilities on the field. Some say that his success at Auburn may have had more to do with the spread offense and the system he was in than his actual ability at the quarterback position.
In a draft where there is no clear number 1, there will always be second guessing taking place. These choices can turn franchises around as it did the Colts with Peyton Manning, or set them back years as it is doing to the San Francisco 49er's with Alex Smith. If the Panthers think that Cam Newton is their guy and can be the face of their franchise for years to come it is the pick they should make. It is not the pick that I would make if I ran the team, I think there are better players ahead of him. Others could argue that while there may be better players now, Newton's potential impact at the quarterback position warrant the pick. I know one thing for sure, I do not envy the position the Carolina Panthers are in.
Cam Newton saw his stock soar throughout this year, leading Auburn to a National Championship. He tore through the SEC and was lavished with awards, the highest being the Heisman Trophy. His draft stock has steadily climbed which brings us to analyst's latest moch drafts where they are saying that the Carolina Panthers are looking to make Newton the number 1 overall pick in this month's draft.
Many have declared that this is a fairly weak draft, especially in the quarterback position. With Andrew Luck of Stanford deciding to stay in school, many believe there is no true number 1 overall player at the quarterback position. While this may be true, it has been shown that the most important player on a team is the quarterback. Those teams who go far in the playoffs generally get great play from their field generals. Any team who aspires to reach championship caliber knows that they need a great quarterback and the draft is usually where you find one.
I can't blame the Panthers for getting excited about Newton and perhaps taking him first overall. He is a physical specimen and many say he can make all the throws. He has shown the ability to run, but has also been compared in body type to a young Ben Roethlisberger regarding his toughness. He showed this year that he is a proven winner and leader in the college ranks, something many teams look for.
Along with the hype there are several questions that surround Newton. He has a shaky past that trails beyond the controversy of this past year at Auburn involving his father. Newton was a top recruit at Florida before he transferred amid theft charges and several allegations of cheating on tests. Critics also question Newton's abilities on the field. Some say that his success at Auburn may have had more to do with the spread offense and the system he was in than his actual ability at the quarterback position.
In a draft where there is no clear number 1, there will always be second guessing taking place. These choices can turn franchises around as it did the Colts with Peyton Manning, or set them back years as it is doing to the San Francisco 49er's with Alex Smith. If the Panthers think that Cam Newton is their guy and can be the face of their franchise for years to come it is the pick they should make. It is not the pick that I would make if I ran the team, I think there are better players ahead of him. Others could argue that while there may be better players now, Newton's potential impact at the quarterback position warrant the pick. I know one thing for sure, I do not envy the position the Carolina Panthers are in.
