Rebuilding year was last year...

[SorthNarolina]

you think anyone wants to stand in front of that guy when he takes off? lol.

I can't not emphasize this enough but HELL YES.

Defenders of all sizes would absolutely love it. Higher chances of forcing a fumble and possibly taking the QB out of the game?

I'm behind him 100% but he's is not going to be dynamic scrambling threat like Vick is and size does not make him an intimidating figure to tackle.

Freeman, Rodgers, Rothlisburger, and others are the ones he should model himself after. He's much closer to those kinds of QBs.

Look at when Williams came into the league, his rookie year he figured he could dance his way out of trouble and it never worked. 07 and 08 he used his skills and became a devastating cutback runner which was a thing of beauty. Pure athleticism will not get you far in the NFL even at RB. So it's not going to work for Cam.

[bleys]

I can't not emphasize this enough but HELL YES.

Defenders of all sizes would absolutely love it. Higher chances of forcing a fumble and possibly taking the QB out of the game?

I'm behind him 100% but he's is not going to be dynamic scrambling threat like Vick is and size does not make him an intimidating figure to tackle.

Freeman, Rodgers, Rothlisburger, and others are the ones he should model himself after. He's much closer to those kinds of QBs.

Look at when Williams came into the league, his rookie year he figured he could dance his way out of trouble and it never worked. 07 and 08 he used his skills and became a devastating cutback runner which was a thing of beauty. Pure athleticism will not get you far in the NFL even at RB. So it's not going to work for Cam.

they all took a beating last year...

[rayzor]

If he tried to "truck" people in the NFL like he did in college they will be carrying him off on a stretcher.

You DO NOT want your QB to be running and taking hits like Adrian Peterson does.

He MUST learn the art of limiting the hits that he takes....that is a fact.

true and that is somethingt hat whitfield really worked with him prior to the draft.

Whitfield persuaded Newton to look at himself and the position he plays through a new lens. He was a pilot and his extraordinary gifts were a parachute to be used only in an emergency.

“Yes, you’re Superman,” he remembers telling Newton. “Yes, you’re more than capable of throwing defensive linemen around, outrunning defensive backs and beating teams, willing yourself and your team through challenges. But the guys who sustain long careers and healthy careers are the guys who can operate on the chessboard. You can’t outscramble everybody.”

They studied film of Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Philip Rivers. Whitfield asked Newton why he thought Manning, Brady and Rivers had sustained outstanding careers without having Newton’s physical abilities.

The answer: mechanics, fundamentals “and an organized mind-set and approach.”

“The goal is to get him to incorporate those things into a formidable package so he can beat teams from the presnap to the pocket with a systematic approach,” Whitfield said. “Then when something breaks down, you have a safety pack like none other.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/30/sports/football/30rhoden.html

what i'm saying, though, is that in those events that he does take off, he won't be easy to take down. he'll still be a threat.

I can't not emphasize this enough but HELL YES.

Defenders of all sizes would absolutely love it. Higher chances of forcing a fumble and possibly taking the QB out of the game?

I'm behind him 100% but he's is not going to be dynamic scrambling threat like Vick is and size does not make him an intimidating figure to tackle.

Freeman, Rodgers, Rothlisburger, and others are the ones he should model himself after. He's much closer to those kinds of QBs.

Look at when Williams came into the league, his rookie year he figured he could dance his way out of trouble and it never worked. 07 and 08 he used his skills and became a devastating cutback runner which was a thing of beauty. Pure athleticism will not get you far in the NFL even at RB. So it's not going to work for Cam.

you talk like he's slow, which he's not. if you thinkk he's not an intimidating figure to try and take down, esp. if he gets some momentum, then you're crazy. sure, there are some possibilities that presents itself when he does take off, like forced fumbles and taking the QB out of the game, but it's going to hurt when he hits you. also, just like big ben, it's usually going to take more than one guy to bring him down.

do i want him to take that risk very often? nope, but when he does take off i feel pretty good that he is going to be getting a lot more production than others because of his combination of size, speed and scrambling ability (as limited as you might think they are).

i've been saying for a long time, longer than most, that i see him like much more mobile big ben rather than comparing him to vick.

he isn't vick and i haven't liked the comparison that many have used in the past. he isn't that kind of QB, nor should he try to be. his size and mobility will keep him alive in the pocket, just like big ben and even better. when things break down then he'll make things happen as a runner.

[pantherj]

Vick is pretty much the greatest and most gifted scrambler out there and he's never really been an unstoppable terror like the most gifted pocket passers with similar salaries.

Newton is slower and weighs more. He's not going to be a terror when he takes off.

Rolls outs and QB sneaks would be more terrifying.

I would compare him more to Randall Cunningham than Vick. My expectation is that Cam is going to be a terror in situations where defensive linemen and LBs are trying to chase him down. He has long strides and he's moving a lot faster than it appears. You used the phrase 'unstoppable terror', but I didn't. I have high expectations for Cams scrambling ability, particularly when he's flushed outside the pocket, or scrambles on his own through an opening.

I also expect him to do very well on roll outs and sneaks, but as far as passing the ball, who knows.

[mountainpantherfan]

Here's the thing. Newton very well could be a better runner than Vick but real threat of a passing game has to be there to put defenders on their heels. Want to know why Steve Young, Donavan McNabb, Ben Rothlisberger and Aaron Rodgers are able to run the ball so well? It's not because they are that great of runners, it's because defenses fear their arm more than their legs.

In college, defenses just aren't fast enough mentally to read offenses and react to a QB like Newton even if they don't really fear the passing game. Most of the time last year coaches either had their defense defend the run or the pass agaisnt Newton, but not both. The NFL is just so much faster mentally than the college game. If Newton is going to use his legs to beat a defense he is going to have to beat them mentally in the passing game first.

Now, as to the main topic. You can look at last year as a tearing down/plane crash year. But in reality, it was a lets take advantage of the no cap situation. There was some advantages on the field like getting younger players some experience but really that was a by-product.

IMO, teams do not rebuild through the draft or signing and cutting players. Every team does this every year. New players come in and older players fad out. This is just the nature of the sport. Where rebuilding comes into play is when the coaches change their philosiphy.

Take Green Bay for example. McCarthy was already the coach when the team went through their rebuilding phase. It looked as though the Packers were one of the worst teams in the entire league but they had a lot of young talent. Hell, Farve has hammered for saying the team was the most talented he was ever on. Most of those young guys made up the core of the team that just won the Super Bowl. But those guys were already there so were did the rebuilding come from? McCarthy got rid of Farve in favor of a QB who took more risks with his legs rather than his arm and brought in Dom Capers to revamp the defense.

See, if Fox wasn't so stubburn he could have done the same thing in Carolina but that just wasn't the case. Unwilling to admend his philosiphy the team began to rebuild by hiring a new coach with a new philosiphy.

Teams that don't draft or manage their roster and cap very well don't have to rebuild, they have to get better at drafting and managing their roster. And teams that think they can rebuild their team by just drafting and signing players end up like the Lions or Raiders of the last decade. But some teams like the Ravens and Falcons and Steelers and Jets and Packers they understand how changing philosiphy, even in the most simplist ways sometimes can rebuild the team. And this mindset that Rivera has talked up is sure enough a breath of fresh air.

[pantherj]

Here's the thing. Newton very well could be a better runner than Vick but real threat of a passing game has to be there to put defenders on their heels. Want to know why Steve Young, Donavan McNabb, Ben Rothlisberger and Aaron Rodgers are able to run the ball so well? It's not because they are that great of runners, it's because defenses fear their arm more than their legs.

In college, defenses just aren't fast enough mentally to read offenses and react to a QB like Newton even if they don't really fear the passing game. Most of the time last year coaches either had their defense defend the run or the pass agaisnt Newton, but not both. The NFL is just so much faster mentally than the college game. If Newton is going to use his legs to beat a defense he is going to have to beat them mentally in the passing game first.

Now, as to the main topic. You can look at last year as a tearing down/plane crash year. But in reality, it was a lets take advantage of the no cap situation. There was some advantages on the field like getting younger players some experience but really that was a by-product.

IMO, teams do not rebuild through the draft or signing and cutting players. Every team does this every year. New players come in and older players fad out. This is just the nature of the sport. Where rebuilding comes into play is when the coaches change their philosiphy.

Take Green Bay for example. McCarthy was already the coach when the team went through their rebuilding phase. It looked as though the Packers were one of the worst teams in the entire league but they had a lot of young talent. Hell, Farve has hammered for saying the team was the most talented he was ever on. Most of those young guys made up the core of the team that just won the Super Bowl. But those guys were already there so were did the rebuilding come from? McCarthy got rid of Farve in favor of a QB who took more risks with his legs rather than his arm and brought in Dom Capers to revamp the defense.

See, if Fox wasn't so stubburn he could have done the same thing in Carolina but that just wasn't the case. Unwilling to admend his philosiphy the team began to rebuild by hiring a new coach with a new philosiphy.

Teams that don't draft or manage their roster and cap very well don't have to rebuild, they have to get better at drafting and managing their roster. And teams that think they can rebuild their team by just drafting and signing players end up like the Lions or Raiders of the last decade. But some teams like the Ravens and Falcons and Steelers and Jets and Packers they understand how changing philosiphy, even in the most simplist ways sometimes can rebuild the team. And this mindset that Rivera has talked up is sure enough a breath of fresh air.

What's going to happen early on is that teams are going to send the house to blitz Cam and force him to make quick decisions and tough throws. Once/if Cam adjusts to reading the blitz, and finding the correct reciever to throw to, then we start playing real football. Then we can see him verses linemen and LBs in the open field. We have to get past the hard part of passing to stop the crazy blitzes first.

[bleys]

What's going to happen early on is that teams are going to send the house to blitz Cam and force him to make quick decisions and tough throws. Once/if Cam adjusts to reading the blitz, and finding the correct reciever to throw to, then we start playing real football. Then we can see him verses linemen and LBs in the open field. We have to get past the hard part of passing to stop the crazy blitzes first.

I agree with this, however............... this was a problem last year and falls squarely on the shoulders of our coaches to adjust the play calls.

that didn't happen. If we did the same exact thing philosophically with Newton as we did with Clausen, everyone would be calling for Luck next year...

granted, he can avoid sacks and use his legs, but ask Vick how that worked out halfway through the season.. and as I say that, I doubt he'll be putting up 150 yards on the ground and scoring 5 TDs a game.

[SorthNarolina]

I would compare him more to Randall Cunningham than Vick. My expectation is that Cam is going to be a terror in situations where defensive linemen and LBs are trying to chase him down. He has long strides and he's moving a lot faster than it appears. You used the phrase 'unstoppable terror', but I didn't. I have high expectations for Cams scrambling ability, particularly when he's flushed outside the pocket, or scrambles on his own through an opening.

I also expect him to do very well on roll outs and sneaks, but as far as passing the ball, who knows.

i was not trying to compare Cam directly to Vick, I was just saying if even Vick isn't a threat to take down an elite D with his scrambling then Newton won't be that either. The ONLY way his athletic ability will benefit him is if he's a passer first. I have very low expectations for how his scrambling ability will translate to the NFL. Pocket mobility and evading the blitz should be pretty smooth but this "dual threat" QB talk is being extremely idealistic.

[pantherj]

I agree with this, however............... this was a problem last year and falls squarely on the shoulders of our coaches to adjust the play calls.

that didn't happen. If we did the same exact thing philosophically with Newton as we did with Clausen, everyone would be calling for Luck next year...

granted, he can avoid sacks and use his legs, but ask Vick how that worked out halfway through the season.. and as I say that, I doubt he'll be putting up 150 yards on the ground and scoring 5 TDs a game.

I hope we have better results with a new coaching staff. Last season was so horrible that we couldn't even execute a simple screen play, which would have helped against blitzes.

[pantherj]

i was not trying to compare Cam directly to Vick, I was just saying if even Vick isn't a threat to take down an elite D with his scrambling then Newton won't be that either. The ONLY way his athletic ability will benefit him is if he's a passer first. I have very low expectations for how his scrambling ability will translate to the NFL. Pocket mobility and evading the blitz should be pretty smooth but this "dual threat" QB talk is being extremely idealistic.

I'm not trying to say that Cam is going to take over a game with his scrambling ability. I do think that he's going to make a few big plays per game when he's flushed out of the pocket and takes off running. I'm not sure why you have such low expectations in his ability to scamble in the NFL. At any rate, we'll find out week 1 (assuming he starts).

[panthers55]

What's going to happen early on is that teams are going to send the house to blitz Cam and force him to make quick decisions and tough throws. Once/if Cam adjusts to reading the blitz, and finding the correct reciever to throw to, then we start playing real football. Then we can see him verses linemen and LBs in the open field. We have to get past the hard part of passing to stop the crazy blitzes first.

While you can't compare college to the pros I know, Newton completed 77 percent of his oases when blitzes by 5 or more defenders. not bad for a normally 66 percent passer.

[bleys]

While you can't compare college to the pros I know, Newton completed 77 percent of his oases when blitzes by 5 or more defenders. not bad for a normally 66 percent passer.

another tip of the cap to Cam.. if a QB can't get above 60-65% completion percentage in college, it doesn't bode well for the NFL..

I hope we have better results with a new coaching staff. Last season was so horrible that we couldn't even execute a simple screen play, which would have helped against blitzes.

I really would love to know what Davidson was thinking on Sundays.. and if he wasn't the only one at fault, who else was involved (Fox?) and what limitations were set in place..

[panthers55]

i was not trying to compare Cam directly to Vick, I was just saying if even Vick isn't a threat to take down an elite D with his scrambling then Newton won't be that either. The ONLY way his athletic ability will benefit him is if he's a passer first. I have very low expectations for how his scrambling ability will translate to the NFL. Pocket mobility and evading the blitz should be pretty smooth but this "dual threat" QB talk is being extremely idealistic.

I dont know why he can't be a dual threat.Look at the wildcat for example. Teams beat it by blitzing the gaps shutting down the run but that was because the guys running the wildcat were runners not quarterbacks. if they blitz Newton he throws a 15 yard pass and the guys runs untouched into the end zone. if they donl he hands it off, pitches it or runs himself. Or on a rollout he can either hit the receiver or take off for the sidelines. he is quicker than any linemen and faster than most linebackers. Truth is he is true dual threat and will be used as such.

[panthers55]

As for the original post, last year was not a rebuilding year. It could have been if Richardson had brought in Rivera and his staff, not gone totally on the cheap and kept some of the leaders like Moose and Harris. instead last year was a throw away year which was totally wasted. This year isn't a rebuilding year but a regrouping and learning year with a coach and staff who have fire and a will to win instead of Fox who lost his edge and played not to lose.