Mike Freeman speculates on Cam Newton...

[Wolfpack352]

I believe Cam wants to stay here.  If he comes back I really hope he balls out, going back to the dual threat he was.  If Kyle continues his winning streak, well then it is a dilemma the coaching staff is going to have to work out because someone is going to be pushing for Cam or Kyle either way.  

[Wanderlai]

Isn’t Allen’s contract up this year? If he keeps winning and we make the playoffs, I just don’t see us locking up a ton of money to keep 2 QBs. Some other team will offer him a big contract and a starting position. I think the Panthers are going to have to choose between the 2. It’s not going to be easy IMO. 

[Mr. Scot]

1 minute ago, Wanderlai said:

Isn’t Allen’s contract up this year? If he keeps winning and we make the playoffs, I just don’t see us locking up a ton of money to keep 2 QBs. Some other team will offer him a big contract and a starting position. I think the Panthers are going to have to choose between the 2. It’s not going to be easy IMO. 

He's an Exclusive Rights free agent. He can't negotiate with anybody else for a couple of years, and even then he'll be restricted.

[Raleigh PF]

They won't keep Cam on IR. The amount of money they are paying him dictates that he takes the starting role once he is healthy enough to do so. 

By the end of the year, the Panthers have to know what their QB situation is going to be moving forward. If Cam comes back and they do well, it's going to be an interesting offseason. If he does fair or poorly (ie. the Panthers miss the playoffs), it's going to be an interesting offseason.

Tepper would like to win a Super Bowl. I doubt he cares how this happens as long as it does. If they don't win, then all questions are valid. It has to cross their mind what $20M+ could do to enhance the roster if Cam turns out not to be the choice.

[1of10Charnatives]

17 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

Yep.

People are pretty passionate about Newton getting the ending that he deserves, or just stating that he doesn't deserve this.

That may be true, but the game of football doesn't really care.

Thomas Davis never wanted to play for any team but the Panthers and wanted to leave with a ring. He spent last night playing for the Chargers, and they're probably not going to the Super Bowl this year.

Julius Peppers was an amazing talent who probably stuck around longer than he should have trying to get a ring. It didn't happen, and it's not going to, but not for lack of trying.

Heck, look back at the guys that just got inducted into the team Ring of Honor. Did any of them go out in a blaze of glory? Afraid not. The closest thing to a happy ending was Ryan Kalil singing "Happy Trails" to Jordan Gross.

This is just how it is, guys. All too often it sucks, but there's not a whole lot that can be done to change that.

In fact, there's not anything at all.

For the guys who have significant careers in the NFL, the happy ending is that they make a life altering amount of money. If they manage to do this without sacrificing too much of their health down the road, it's a happy ending almost anyone would take. Heck I'll go one better and suggest that the real happy ending often isn't even for the player. Many NFL players who came from impoverished conditions use their wealth to benefit the communities they came from in ways far more important than who wins or loses a game on Sunday. When this happens, if you ask me, that's the real happy ending: some kid not going hungry because an NFL player had the means to do otherwise.

The ultra rare walk off the field after winning a SB at the top of your game and go to Disney World moment is largely a myth.

[Mr. Scot]

2 minutes ago, Raleigh PF said:

They won't keep Cam on IR. The amount of money they are paying him dictates that he takes the starting role once he is healthy enough to do so. 

By the end of the year, the Panthers have to know what their QB situation is going to be moving forward. If Cam comes back and they do well, it's going to be an interesting offseason. If he does fair or poorly (ie. the Panthers miss the playoffs), it's going to be an interesting offseason.

Tepper would like to win a Super Bowl. I doubt he cares how this happens as long as it does. If they don't win, then all questions are valid. It has to cross their mind what $20M+ could do to enhance the roster if Cam turns out not to be the choice.

Good teams don't make depth chart decisions based on who's making the most money.

You make that decision based on who gives you the best chance to win. 

[TheRed]

1 hour ago, Happy Panther said:

People think Cam is going to the hall of fame?

Obviously common sense dictates that he is in no way a lock, but do you really think the last several games defines his entire body of work after all the records he shattered over the years?

It's a shame fans disappear for months on end only to show up a few times to get in unprovoked shots on a guy while he's injured.

[ickmule]

1 hour ago, Happy Panther said:

People think Cam is going to the hall of fame?

Ummm.....I don’t.  At least not from the body of work to this point.  

[Raleigh PF]

9 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

Good teams don't make depth chart decisions based on who's making the most money.

You make that decision based on who gives you the best chance to win. 

No, they don't. But this is the Panthers and considering Cam's history with them AND the fact that he's making a rather large salary will dictate that the Panthers put him behind center when he is healthy. 

[DeAngelo Beason]

The problem with bringing Cam in is the potential that we could be throwing the season away in doing so.  Cam Newton is very likely to be a liability when he comes back.  Kyle Allen isn't out there winning the games on his own, but he's making the smart decisions that don't lead to losses.  

[Happy Panther]

4 minutes ago, ickmule said:

Ummm.....I don’t.  At least not from the body of work to this point.  

Yeah I would think most people will agree with this. The article and another poster in this thread both referred to him as a future HOFer.

He needs to be thought of as the best running QB ever and get a ring. Or some other combination of another superbowl loss and MVP or something. He has to be healthy for another 4 years or so.

[Mr. Scot]

4 minutes ago, Raleigh PF said:

No, they don't. But this is the Panthers and considering Cam's history with them AND the fact that he's making a rather large salary will dictate that the Panthers put him behind center when he is healthy. 

Can't take history into account either.

There's only ever one valid reason to start one player over another, and that's that he gives you the best chance to win.

[run-run-pass-punt]

I think the thing  that is easy to overlook with Allen is that this is not necessarily an unexpected development. I mean he was the top prospect coming out of high-school. He just got lost in the shuffle in some strange circumstances in college. He's always had the talent. And some of the throws he has made along with his overall poise has me convinced that, at the very least, he has a long-term place in this league.

I am really interested to see how he plays @ San Fran. Even if he stinks it up, I don't think that is an necessarily an indictment against his future. But what if he plays a great game there against that pass D?!? Oh my!

Maybe the football gods smiled on us when we were able to acquire him as an UDFA.

[Happy Panther]

33 minutes ago, run-run-pass-punt said:

But what if he plays a great game there against that pass D?!? Oh my!

If he lights it up or just manages the game there will be a different discussion here. Imagine 6-0 with no turnovers against SFO.