Do we HAVE to take Newton?

[Eazy-E]

I trust the front office to make the right choice with the pick. We have a pretty good history with first round picks.

Also for the haters, all the experts and analysts said Clausen would make a pretty good QB, and The Golden Calf of Bristol would never play QB in the NFL. We all saw first hand how that turned out.

[Jangler]

Why are you putting Vick and LeBron in with MJ?

:lol: really? why not Montana?

[TheRed]

98% of this board were creaming their pants to draft Luck. Who apparently would have made us an instant dynasty if he had declared. What did he do except play in a pro style offense and get the unrelenting ESPN hype because of his overrated coach?

Im not sure about Cam Newton. But i am sure that we need to explore ALL options with our pick, including quarterback. We should all face facts and realize this franchise needs life, some fire, and a good kick in the ass. Starting a season with a Billy fugging Volek washed up type of QB isn't going to cut it.

You can bury your head in the sand and hope things will work out with Clausen, or some old scrub backup QB will take us on a Jake Delhomme superbowl run.

The time for dicking around is over, yeah it may not be the best year to have the #1 pick but who cares? It's where we are so we roll the dice and take a chance.

[ACobra289]

With the lockout looming, this could be a bad year to take a QB. With the possibility of no OTAs or minicamps and a shortened training camp, it is going to severely limit the development of a QB. Now, if the plan is to let him sit for a year or two behind a vet, then I guess the lockout isn't that much of a concern.

[Icege]

Why is it okay to do this with Cam Newton, but not Jimmy Clausen? Because of physical potential?

I'm all about talking up Cam Newton in order to get Buffalo or another team to chomp the bit and trade up, but that's about it. The way he refers to himself in 3rd person, disobeys his coaches call during the National Championship game so that he could try and take it in himself (instead of giving it to Dyer, who was the reason they were in position), and all of the other character concern issue... pass.

He throws a pretty good ball (hopefully he will at his pro day), his arm strength, and amazing athletic ability. I'm not bothered by him playing in the spread offense, because putting him out there will net results similar to Clausen. I'm of the opinion that the team should accept that there's no home run answer this year and to address other spots. I'm sure there will be another "once in a generation/lifetime/wasn't-there-one-of-those-recently?/etc" player next year or the year after.

[Mr Mojo Risin]

That's not really the gist. Its about developing a young and exciting squad. Risking a QB at number one for a team with essentially no QB...hmm not much of a reach. Peterson/Green/Dareus could all be great, but why convince yourself we won't take a QB? If you are open to all of the possibilities you will probably be much less pissed come draft day.

We need a franchise QB and that's been the talk all offseason within this fanbase and the new coaching staff. You really think they don't want to hand select a young and exciting player rather going with some corpse that will do nothing for this franchise at a larger scale (Volek, McNabb, etc.)

I just don't get the 'No QB no matter what in the draft' perspective for a team in such dire straits.

It's not so much that as it is drafting either cam or gabbert with the #1. There are better players that could still help us probably not as much as a franchise qb but neither cam or gabbert seem like they could come in and be that guy. Seeing as we were 2-14 last season with one of the worst offenses if not the worst in NFL history it just seems like it would make more sense to draft someone that could come in and help right away. Be it Peterson Green Dareus not so high on Fairley but him too if he impresses by draft time.

The other thing thats been mentioned on this board is that Hurney hasn't drafted a bust in the 1st round. He has had very high success when we draft in the 1st. So if he does take Newton or even Gabbert I have faith that he made the right decision I just don't think he will reach like that and I believe we will go with the BPA and I feel that is A.J. Green

[KSpan]

Cam Newton is the only thing that can save the Carolina Panthers, carolinahuddle.com, and JIP. Passing on him would hurt us a lot more than it would hurt him. Its looking the front office is confronting reality and are gonna do the right thing.

Wow... that's not melodramatic or anything. Winning is the thing that will save the franchise, and I just don't see the Carolina braintrust sitting down and saying that the ONLY way to win is with Cam Newton. I personally think that if the Panthers make the #1 pick it will be Newton, but it will be because they've truly decided that he is the best option for the team, not because they're conceding to some "reality" and doing the "right thing".

[MadHatter]

I don't give a rat's ass about the "star power" of a kid who's never thrown a single NFL pass.

Winning creates stars, not the other way around.

not according to cam. haven't you heard...he is already an incom and entertainer. he is not just selling shoes, he is selling all sports apparel.

[stirs]

The dumbest thing that Rivera could do would be to give in to the hype and draft a B player as QB.

Luck would have been an A+ and a no brainer.

Only Gabbert approaches the A level.

Locker and Newton are B's at best.

Trade down is the absolute best scenario for the Panthers. there are 6 players that can be argued have a shot at top spot. One WR and 5 guys on D. Any of the 6 could help the Panthers. None of them will put them in the Super Bowl. Newton will not put them in the super bowl, but will put them in the papers.....for awhile

[blackcatgrowl]

not according to cam. haven't you heard...he is already an incom and entertainer. he is not just selling shoes, he is selling all sports apparel.

Yes. Selling it as a college sports star who won it all, in his Auburn gear.

BCS win and Heisman Trophy = kinda a big deal for college sports.

[MHS831]

Why is it okay to do this with Cam Newton, but not Jimmy Clausen? Because of physical potential?

I'm all about talking up Cam Newton in order to get Buffalo or another team to chomp the bit and trade up, but that's about it. The way he refers to himself in 3rd person, disobeys his coaches call during the National Championship game so that he could try and take it in himself (instead of giving it to Dyer, who was the reason they were in position), and all of the other character concern issue... pass.

He throws a pretty good ball (hopefully he will at his pro day), his arm strength, and amazing athletic ability. I'm not bothered by him playing in the spread offense, because putting him out there will net results similar to Clausen. I'm of the opinion that the team should accept that there's no home run answer this year and to address other spots. I'm sure there will be another "once in a generation/lifetime/wasn't-there-one-of-those-recently?/etc" player next year or the year after.

Good comments. Someone earlier said good year to "Roll the Dice". Well, successful gamblers reduce risk before going all in. The #1 pick is going "all in". People are suggesting that Cam Newton is the answer. The kid in the draft with the highest risk and highest upside. And then others accuse the people who wanted Luck to be duped by the ESPN hype.

ESPN is hyping Cam Newton a teeeny bit.

Maybe we get that trade with buffalo and pick up a second rounder. If so, and you want a QB with skills who can be coached, then draft Kaepernick or Ponder.

[raleigh-panther]

If we do trade down, yes, I agree on Ponder.

Left handed, and not as well known; but, there is something about that young man.

He's smart and accurate.

[raleigh-panther]

Good comments. Well, successful gamblers reduce risk before going all in. .

No, successful gamblers understand the possibility of the risk, the probability of the risk occuring and judge if they can mitigate it.

At the end of the day, they will act considering those things and their intuition based on facts plus the current environment and strength of competition.

It is not 'reduce' risk. It's controling the outcome as much as possible with mitigation based on probability.

A gambler can hold a pair of twos and go all in based on reading the competition.

A 'player' will fold.

There is a difference.

[teeray]

Good comments. Someone earlier said good year to "Roll the Dice". Well, successful gamblers reduce risk before going all in. The #1 pick is going "all in". People are suggesting that Cam Newton is the answer. The kid in the draft with the highest risk and highest upside. And then others accuse the people who wanted Luck to be duped by the ESPN hype.

ESPN is hyping Cam Newton a teeeny bit.

Maybe we get that trade with buffalo and pick up a second rounder. If so, and you want a QB with skills who can be coached, then draft Kaepernick or Ponder.

Kaepernick is intriguing but you guys think Cam has mechanical issues, this guy has to revamp his entire throwing motion. That is exponentially harder to do than improving you footwork (like Cam does).

An I will say this about Ponder, he will NEVER be a starter in the NFL. I know he had a pretty good day at the combine.

People think he had a pretty good senior bowl week bc he won MVP of the game. He did play really well in the game but during practice he was pretty bad. Just people threw his practice troubles out the window bc he played so well in the actual game.

If we gamble in the third I would rather it be Kaepernick, but I would rather get the QB with our first picks or just not draft one at all. Get a vet and see what shakes out next year.