I Wouldn’t Bet Against Cam Newton Being Successful In The NFL

Every year, the NFL draft winds down and everyone wants to know if their team is going to be great on draft day or will they lay the rotten egg. This year, no one has had to endure as much criticism as Cameron Newton. Cam has been analyzed from every angle and regardless of the scrutiny; he has withstood the criticism and stood tall. Don’t get it twisted, I am not saying that Newton will be as great as Andrew Luck will be next year when he enters the draft, but as far as talent goes, it’s hard to argue with the resume of this young man.

In the last three years, the young man has assembled a pretty significant resume. He was on the national championship team at Florida, he won a junior college national championship at Blinn College, and this year he led the Auburn Tigers to a national championship. The only downside of this argument is that he has had to face some scrutiny every where that he has been.

The way I see it, talent is talent. Newton reminds me a little of a couple of guys. The first is Josh Freeman. They share the same poise. Big bodied quarterbacks who believe that if given enough time, they can make the earth move. He also has a little Philip Rivers in him as his confidence is never shaken. He has the ability to look in his teammates eyes and demand that they follow or get out of the way. He also has a little Donovan McNabb in him as he can use his lower body to his advantage.

You may say that none of these guys have won anything yet, and with that statement you are true. But ask any team that didn’t draft either of those guys would they like to have them and all but 5 teams would say without hesitation yes.

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Jerry Rice Weighs In On Cam Newton And Race

News broke this morning when Jerry Rice did an interview for ESPN Radio. This morning Rice stated that he believes African-American quarterbacks were discriminated against in the past, but that the league has advanced beyond those days. “I think the NFL is so much further now,” Rice said. “I don’t think race is a factor.”

“It’s going to boil down to accuracy,” Rice said. “He’s going to have to be able to drop back, plant himself and deliver that football. During his workouts the ball was a little high, all over the place.”

Rice has a point. The leash for African American quarterbacks may be short, but if guys like Jamarcus Russell can get drafted with the first overall pick then we know race is not going to be the final call. I honestly think it depends on the market for quarterback success. Some teams are built for young quarterbacks to be successful like the Jets, Ravens, and Falcons. Other teams are not, which is why they are drafting so high in the first place. One thing is for sure and Rice hits it on the head, if you can play and play at a high level, it doesn’t really matter what color your skin is in this league, it is all about production. 

Stay Breezy ~ I'm Out!

The Curious Case For Cam Newton

The past few days all I have heard are the so called experts tell football fans why the Carolina Panthers should not take Cameron Newton with the first overall pick in the draft. One guy loves him and his upside, and then the next guy gives you 100 reasons why he shouldn’t be the number one overall pick. My question is, why wouldn’t you want this kid? Everything about him says winner. When he was in high school he won. He was a member of the 2008 Florida National Championship team before his suspension. He took his talents to Blinn Junior College in 2009 and won a Juco National Championship. Then in 2010 he shows up at Auburn and wins another BCS National Championship.

Sure there are the intangibles. Can you trust the guy? Is he a legitimate franchise quarterback? Does he posses the skills needed to compete in the National Football League? My question is why so many questions? Tim Tebow was a pretty good college quarterback. He was drafted in the first round. Newton has already outperformed him as a passer in college and in workouts. Tebow showed everyone at the end of the year that he can be a legitimate passer and player in this league.

There is no doubt that the Panthers need a quarterback. They need one in the worst way. However, if Newton is not the kid you really want, go ahead and tank another season and wait for Andrew Luck. The way I see it is that Newton is the best quarterback on the board and if he doesn’t measure up to expectations, then pass on him. This situation bothers me a little anyways as it just reminds me too much of other great "savior" QB's to get drafted high and then not become what was expected.

There is no doubt in my mind that Newton will be fine in the NFL, just maybe not in Carolina because of the shape they are in. I feel the same way about Blaine Gabbert. If either is drafted they would be expected to start right away and neither of them will be ready for that. The learning curve for a rookie is far too high and transitioning from spread to traditional takes time.

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Who Is Better: Julio Jones or A.J. Green

Every year the question about who is the best comes up right before the NFL draft. When it comes to the wide receiver position there are only two names that come to the top. Before the combine workouts, everyone had AJ Green as the clear cut number one. One of the reasons is that Green comes from a passing offense that featured his skills and his skills alone. Julio Jones stepped his game up at the combine, basically outperforming Green in ever category. The only knock on Jones was supposed to be speed. Ironically he outran Green in the combine too.

When you watch these guys run routes, they are very similar. Jones is a more polished receiver in tight areas, where Green does appear to get better separation on the field. Jones is by far the better blocker as he had to be to allow guys like Mark Ingram to be dominant enough to win the Heisman.

The question remains, which will be the better pro. Make no mistake about it, both are worthy of being the first receiver taken. If you take a look at the board, the only team that may be looking for wide receiver help is early is the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals played with veteran wide receivers Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens this year as young guys like Quan Crosby, Andre Caldwell, and Jordan Shipley emerged as the heir apparent. Crosby is more of a special team’s guy but adds speed to the Bengals. Caldwell is dependable, and Shipley was arguably the best of the bunch last season.

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Cameron Newton: Finding His Place At The Next Level

Throughout the annals of American history there have been several incidents that have defined the outcome of events. In the sports world there are very few people, especially non-professionals who have been able to capture the essence of America. Each year we have our hopefuls and the people we want to see fall on their face. We have the projected superstar and the guy or girl who arises from the abyss. This past year no one fit the bill for this role better than Cameron Newton.

Cam Newton emerged as a smiling face quarterback who very few people knew anything about. After his team started winning games, more people started paying attention and he became a household name. Then the hate started. Rumors of his past started creeping up and “Cam the villain” was created. For some reason, even then, the man was still loved more than he was hated. It was as if the sports world was ready to leave his past in the past.

A couple of weeks later, after the Auburn Tigers defeated the Mississippi State Bulldogs, the media were tossed a bone. The deep laceration of the college career of Cam Newton could not be repaired after the accusations were made public. His dad became public enemy number one. His judgment would always be questioned, and his integrity would never have credibility.

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