To be fair, I did vote to draft him. I wasn't trying to dissuade anyone, just saying those were questions I'd have if I were thinking about drafting him. See, therein lies the problem. Who do they get? Aside from McNabb and Collins, there really aren't any vet QBs with plenty of starting experiences who are going to be available to them. They'll be pulling in a journeyman, like Seneca Wallace or Rex Grossman, which is fine, but it won't be much of a learning experience for Newton. I guess I could see Bulger going down there, but even he would probably be more content to be a backup on a team that's going somewhere. It's a horrible QB class in FA overall, but there are a few good young ones up for trade. That has to factor into the decision. I figured that went without saying, especially following GH's initial post. Cam Newton may not become a great QB in the wrong situation, though. He would, however, become the face for the franchise, which is a great bottom line for a stingy owner. That's true. Of course, now they have Ron Rivera coaching there. Yeah, that's how I'd lean as well. One point I haven't seen mentioned: even though they may not get a good vet QB to teach him, the Panthers did sign Mike Shula as their new QB coach. I thought it was odd when he signed a few days AFTER Luck announced he was staying in school. His eagerness to jump to Carolina could be a sign that they're still geared up for a QB.
I said no because I believe if you draft a QB in the top 5, they need to start week one. Newton is not ready IMO.
Ignatius, I agree that it is a pretty wretched class for FA QBs. Bulger and Collins would be the best of the lot, but I see a few other names that might not be so bad. They don't have tons of starting experience, but each has some merits making them worthy of at least consideration, and they'd probably come pretty cheaply. They're not gonna win many games, which may be the best thing for Carolina. One of them could keep Newton or Clausen from getting injured (if Carolina sees Claussen as their potential backup QB), or could possibly become the Panthers backup the second year, and allow the Panthers to trade Claussen. What do you think about these guys? Bruce Gradkowski - looked good in spots for Oakland, and would probably love to escape that zoo Trent Edwards - Not even a good QB, but he has started a decent number of games. Billy Volek - Is a 10-year veteran, and started or saw signficant action in 10 games in 2004, he has been the backup to both Steve McNair and Phillip Rivers and must have learned something from them.
Gradkowski would be an awfully tough choice for them to make. You said it dead on: he looked good in spots in Oakland and Tampa. He looked terrible in others, and he's an injury liability. You can only pick up Gradkowski if you feel ok about Claussen coming in to start at some point. I have a soft spot for Trent Edwards, and that line in Buffalo didn't do him any favors, but he also had arguably better receivers to throw to in 2009 than he would in Carolina and regressed in the games he actually played. Another injury risk. Billy Volek is a career backup with one half season of starts. He'd love a chance to start, but I sure as hell wouldn't want him starting for my team. It's been more than 5 years since that '04 season when he had 8 starts and he had a dismal record to go with it. To be honest, if I'm the Panthers and I draft Cam Newton, I'm making a serious run at Matt Hasselbeck. Again, there are injury concerns, but he's beyond a proven starter, a smart QB, and would be able to teach Newton for a season. For that to happen, you'd likely have to see Donovan McNabb and Kevin Kolb traded off to Minnesota and Arizona as contenders an aging QB would want to play for. Even then, he's going to be looking for another option. In all likelihood, it'll be one of the guys mentioned above or someone like Rex Grossman or Seneca Wallace. Those are some scary thoughts, but nobody wants to play for Carolina right now.
Ideally, every quarterback should sit to start their careers, regardless of how ready they might seem.
Thanks for your response. Yes, definitely Hasselbeck. I meant to include him. I've seen his name linked a couple of times with Carolina, but don't remember if it was the local paper here in NC, an article on the web, or a fan on one of the Jets' sites I frequent. Anyway, Hasselbeck would be the best option both in terms of winning some games and in teaching Claussen and/or Newton or Gabbert. Kerry Collins would be the 2nd best, but I think he might opt to stay in Tennessee.
Really intriguing FA option for them, and one that I think would be an outstanding fit in three separate ways, Kerry Collins. Kerry goes somewhere that he can start for one more year, not to mention a place he's very familiar with. He also gets a chance to exercise a lot of the demons that haunted his first time through Carolina. The Panthers get their veteran QB, and won't have to worry about Jimmy or Cam getting shelled. And Cam gets a veteran quarterback that has seen two young QB careers faulter (his own and VY's), so he'll have a ton of great insight into how he should approach his the pro game. G.H. Green, for any other team your thought process makes a lot of sense. Not sure if you remember but Collins was a Panther draft pick. While in Charlotte he splintered the locker room with his alcoholism and racism. He had the black and white players at each others throats and probably cost Dom Capers his job in Carolina. I wouldn't be surprised if KC gets a police escort to and from the games in Charlotte since the fans there hate him with a passion.
Interesting. I knew Collins had problems with alcoholism while with the Panthers, but never knew the other stuff or have forgotten about it. I was living in NYC during Collins time with the Panthers, so didn't see reports in the local newspapers. With that being the case, I don't see any way the Panthers would want him back or that Collins would be interested in going back. I do know that he has been considered the worst bust in their history. He was one of, if not the first important draft picks, and was the first QB they've taken. Missing on him, did cost Capers his job. He was a Bill Polian pick, and probably was the worst pick he ever made. That probably was a contributing factor in his leaving the Panthers for the Colts.
Agreed. I don't care how good their coaching was in college, or how NFL ready they are. The speed of the game is different, plus all the other adjustments, both mental and physical, that players must make to the NFL.
Draft a sure thing. Cam has plenty of negatives. #1 there have been a lot of bust on QBs coming from a run option offense.
TBH, if those demons were haunting me last time, the last thing I'd like to do is make them any stronger... I'd prefer them to remain as weak as possible.
It's been a loooong time since he was there, and he's received a lot of help getting over his issues since then. I think it would be smart for him to take on a challenge like that, kind of like the apologize to those you wronged step in AA. Exorcise. Well played.
I'm torn on Newton, and I'm not the one paying out the money. This must be hell for GM's right now. The more I hear about him, I like his football skills ,barring the accuracy issues and footwork, am not thrilled with his personality. If you thnk its not a problem, the you draft him. He is has the chrisma to lead and as Herm puts it, he showed he can compete through adversity this season. something Vince young never showed. If you want to play it safe with milions of your owners money on the line, you go Marcell Darius or Patrick Peterson. Both are going to be good if not very good NFL players, but lets face it, safe does not always win championships or save your Job if your the GM. One thing I am happy about is that we Don't need a QB this year. All of them have thier red flags. Someoen is goign to way over draft a QB along the road.
I wouldnt take Newton as Carolina are so bad they are 99% likely to win the Luck sweepstakes next year - get AJ Green or Petersen and just ride the season out
Carolina is not that bad. They have a lot of good defensive players, a number who are young and they played very well in spurts last year. Rivera will have them playing very well. Their offense isn't as bad as last year made them look. They had no depth on the OL and their OTs were both injured, as were both of there top RBs. They had some young WRs who had problems holding onto the ball last year and still have Steve Smith. The major problem is at QB. If Carolina shores up their OL, gets another receiving option for their QB, and signs a veteran like Hasselback, they could win as many as 8 games, maybe more, particularly if they can get both RBs back and each gaining close to 1,000 yards. Taking Green would give them a quality option opposite Smith, but probably wouldn't have enough of an impact to knock them out of position to take Luck next year. With even passable QB play from Claussen or a vet FA, taking Peterson, Dareus or Fairley could knock them out of the running for Luck next year. Taking Cam is risky, but there are no guarantees they will get a shot at Luck next year. I think passing on Cam would be foolish. IMO he has the talent to become a HOFer and change the QB position forever. If I'm Carolina, I take Cam, then at the top of rd 3 I either take the best DT left, or I take the best speedy WR available. Jarvis Jenkins could still be there, maybe Kenric Ellis, and Sione Fua. At WR they could have a choice of maybe Jernigan, Gates, Denarius Moore, maybe Hankerson. Whichever I took in round 3, I'd take the other in round 4, then would take OL with the rest of my picks. In FA, I'd put all my money into getting Hasselback or Collins. Failing that, I'd go for one of the lower tier QBs, and maybe sign a veteran OL and DT, if any decent ones are available and if I had cap space.
That's what they did last year. It would be incredibly stupid to throw away another season and THEN decide to start developing a QB. The only reason to avoid taking a QB is if Rivera is enamored with Jimmy.
I disagree, you have to love the QB you are taking. You have to believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are drafting the best QB in the draft, and that you are so confident he will succeed you are willing to bet your job on it. If you don't feel that way about one of the QB's, you pass and move on. Don't take one just to take one. If you don't feel there is a franchise guy in this class (i personally do not) then take the BPA whether thats Dareus, Green, Peterson or someone else, but don't just take a QB just to take one...
Or another reason... if they are not in love with any of the top QB prospects. For better or worse, having the #1 over all invests both a shitton of money. Do you invest your 60 mil into a position player that will step in and contribute ight away or a QB that may need a year to get up to speed? In a draft where you can;t sign your picks and have no offseason programs as of now, you also have no Sam bradford ready to step in and go. Cam and Gabbert are going to take some time before they are NFL ready. Its a lot at stake for the GM to play the waitign game with.
