Pro Sports Wrap - Sports Personality of the Day:Kris Versteeg

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: NFL Rankings, QBs, Tom Brady, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Peyton Manning, Matt Schaub, Ben Roethlisberger, Colt McCoy, Joe Flacco, Philip Rivers, Michael Vick, Eli Manning, Tony Romo, Cam Newton, Drew Brees, Josh Freeman, Matt Ryan, Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford, Jay Cutler, Kevin Kolb, Sam Bradford

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8/22 Football Talk: Start Cam Newton

August 22nd 2011 14:51

There is no reason why this should be a quarterback competition at all. It's pretty clear to me that Jimmy Clausen doesn't have much of a future in the NFL. It is probably extremely harsh of me to say such a thing, but Clausen was beyond awful last season. Not only was he incapable of completing a pass, but he was also failed to make good decisions and was the worst quarterback in the league last year. Newly signed backup Derek Anderson is almost as bad, and his personality doesn't make him a good mentor either. I understand that his one big season came under current Panthers' offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski, but there's also no reason for me to believe that he can come anywhere close to repeating that kind of success.

What I'm getting at here is that Cam Newton is clearly this team's starting quarterback. You don't draft a QB at number one for no reason. If you spend the first pick in the draft on a quarterback, you are essentially saying that you have nobody on this roster who is capable of taking the reigns; well, that statement was totally true before Carolina picked up Newton.

The league has evolved into a total WCO mentality; pass first, run later. The ball-control offenses based on running the football employed by former coach John Fox just don't work in the year 2011; you need a signal-caller who is above the replacement level.

I'm already under the impression that Cam Newton is a far better player than Jimmy Clausen, and you need to start your best players; rookie or not. The Panthers were 2-14 for a reason; they didn't have a legitimate quarterback. The team needs to do all they can to avoid another season like 2010, and the only way to do that is to start the best quarterback currently on the roster. As far as I'm concerned, that means that Cam Newton needs to start from day one; rookie or not. Carolina and head coach Ron Rivera need to come right out and declare publicly that Newton is starting right from the get-go, and they certainly need to rally around their prized rookie.

Start him

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: NFL, John Fox, Panthers, Ron Rivera, Cam Newton, Jimmy Clausen, Derek Anderson, Rob Chudzinski

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8/2011 Team Scope: Carolina Panthers

August 13th 2011 18:34

Going into free agency, the Panthers had a ton of key players that they had to re-signed. To say their free agency period was a success would be an understatement. They were able to re-sign two very good linebackers in James Anderson and Thomas Davis, they re-signed Charles Johnson who was the second best end in the league last year, and they kept DeAngelo Williams- even though they paid too much for him.

You can tell that Jerry Richardson was gearing up for this though. He never signed anybody the past couple of years, and he was the most vocal about a new CBA that would "help out" the owners. Most coaches' contracts and player contracts were set to expire this year. This was all in Richardson's grand plan.

The Panthers have a very good roster in terms of overall talent, but their season rides on the shoulders of their number one pick. They were terrible last year with the worst starting QB in the league under center. Derek Anderson's one great year was under current offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski while with the Browns. I have no idea why the second worst starting quarterback last year was brought in. He's not a mentor, and he sucks.

Cam Newton is actually by far the best signal-caller on this roster, and that really has more to do with the ineptitude of the other guys. I think Newton is going to be subpar in his rookie year, but he'll do enough to keep the Panthers around .500 (think 7-9).

But Newton has the best running game in the league to back him up. DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart are two of the best backs around, and Mike Goodson is a very good all-around option. Tyrell Sutton is an underrated player buried on the back of the depth chart. The offensive line is also very good, as the Panthers have perennial All-Pros in Ryan Kalil and Jordan Gross. Travelle Wharton is seriously underrated and is one of the best guards in the league in pass protection.

However, the receivers are mediocre at best. With David Gettis sidelined for the rest of the year with an injury that Thomas Davis is all too familiar with, the Panthers really only have two playable receivers. Steve Smith is still among the best in the league, and Brandon LaFell has a ton of potential. But LaFell isn't a number two receiver at all, but he is a big guy in the red zone.

What helps Newton out the most is the two tight ends that Carolina recently acquired. Jeremy Shockey isn't what he used to be, obviously, but he is still a solid number two TE and can play some in the red zone. Greg Olsen is one of the best pure pass-catchers at his position, and he was not properly used by Mike Martz in Chicago. He's going to breakout this year, and Newton is definitely going to be looking for him a lot. But make no mistake, Smith is going to be heavily targeted this year, which means he will finally have the stats to show his skills. All he needs is somebody who isn't "beyond stink".

Defensively, Carolina has a stacked core of linebackers. Jon Beason is one of the best LBs in the game, and will have him blitzing more than he ever has in his life. Davis should be healthy and ready to contribute, and James Anderson emerged as an important playmaker on defense. Dan Connor is extremely underrated, and he is one of the best linebackers in the league against the run. It was a shame that his season was cut in half last year, and he should be back to full strength this year. Connor will be ready to make a name for himself.

The corners are very thin after the departure of Richard Marshall. Chris Gamble is still okay, but he has vastly declined recently. Captain Munnerlyn is crazy fast, and he's a solid number two corner. Brandon Hogan was an interesting pick, and I think he'll end up being a solid contributor on defense. Charles Godfrey was in the same great draft haul that yielded Stewart, Jeff Otah, and Connor, and he's a ball-hawk who can make plays. The other safety, Sherrod Martin, is a solid player; there's really nothing special about him.

The entire philosophy has changed in Carolina. They have gone from the ball-control offense employed by John Fox and , to an offensive attack that is more about taking risks. The same can be said for the defense with Sean McDermott at coordinator; expect a whole lot of blitzing. The Panthers are going to be solid defensively, but the offense is directly affected by Cam Newton. All he has to do is play average football out there, and the Panthers will hit .500.

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6/21 NFL News: Newton makes good first step

June 21st 2011 21:00

Jimmy Clausen failed to develop good chemistry with Steve Smith, and it was one of the reasons why he was horrible last year. He got on Smith's nerves by showing hubris during training camp, and that carried over into the regular season. He didn't give the ball to his star, and he threw it far too often to Dante Rosario.

While I have been critical of Cam Newton, I commend him profusely for a move that he recently made. It may seem like a small gesture, but what Newton did may help out this offense more than you would think. He has made it clear that he wants Steve Smith to stick around in Carolina and not leave, and he also tipped his cap and said that Smith is a great receiver. This is exactly the opposite of what Clausen did last year, and I think this move will work out for Newton if Smith indeed does stay. Smith, however, wants to play on a winning team as his storied career winds down to a close. He won the Triple Crown of Receiving and is the best player in Panthers' history.

“I’ve grown maybe a little bit of maturity. So what I’m going to do is keep saying it: It’s between me and my family,” Smith said. “And when we decide what we’re going to do, whether people like it or not, as long as my family is happy, I hope they would understand.”

Steve Smith is one of my favorite players in the NFL, and it makes me mad when people talk crap about him. He has always contemplated retirement because of his family. He doesn't want to sustain an injury that will force his family to pay for the expenses. He also wants to spend time with the people he cares the most about.

“Obviously, skills are diminishing, losing a step. So we’ll see,” Smith said, mocking critics. “We’ll see how many 24-year-olds can cover a 32-year-old, 4.3 runner, wide receiver who wasn’t supposed to be here anyway.”

One of the main reasons why the star receiver contemplated retirement was because his wife may of had lupus. She didn't, and the person Smith cares about the most didn't have a dangerous disease.

“Retiring at that time was one of the things that we were thinking about, because I needed to be home with my wife,” Smith said. “I needed to make sure I didn’t let her down.”

Smith also praised the rookie quarterback. I personally think that character concerns about Newton are overblown now that I have seen his actions in the NFL. He's been nothing but a leader so far, and his work ethic is incredible. Newton has incredible athleticism, but I'm still worried about him busting. The Panthers did a very thorough check up on him, so I am optimistic about Newton's future. Marty Hurney is the last guy in the league to make a rash decision. If Smith says he's good, then he's probably good. Smith doesn't usually dole out praise on young QBs unless if they really are that good.

“His athleticism speaks for itself,” Smith said. “You can see an athlete walk in the door. He doesn’t have to wear a sign or a jersey. You can tell if a guy can play or if he can’t.”

Wants Smith to stay

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: NFL, NFL Rumors and News, Panthers, Steve Smith, Cam Newton, Jimmy Clausen, Marty Hurney

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5/24 NFL Rumors: The Free Agent Wideouts

May 24th 2011 14:02

Randy Moss had the most receiving touchdowns in an NFL season with the New England Patriots in 2007. After an ugly breakup last year, the Pats' biggest rivals could sign Moss. This would only happen if the Jets were unable to re-sign either Santonio Holmes or Braylon Edwards. Holmes and Edwards are better players than Moss at this point in time, but Moss would fit right in in New York.

Mike Brown is the worst owner in the league, and he has the most interesting QB situation on his hands. We all know about the Carson Palmer quandary, and Brown has reiterated the fact that the Bengals will keep Palmer. If Palmer holds true to his statement and retires, then Brown says the team will just put in Andy Dalton. He also added that Palmer would be the starter if he stayed. I think the Bengals need to move on and trade Palmer. They'll also get good value for him as opposed to getting nothing in return. Palmer was terrible at the beginning of the year, but he was great in the last few weeks of the season. Was it injuries or luck? Either way, I think there are going to be teams that will try and give too much for him

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: NFL, Patriots, Jets, Santonio Holmes, Braylon Edwards NYJ, Dolphins, Brandon Marshall, Mike Sims-Walker JAX, Bengals, Carson Palmer CIN, Andy Dalton, Mike Brown, John Fox, New York Giants, Barry Cofield NYG, Cowboys, Roy Williams DAL, Tony Romo, Panthers, Steve Smith, Cam Newton, Jimmy Clausen

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2011NFL Draft Team Grades Part 1

May 2nd 2011 14:20

Arizona Cardinals A minus Patrick Peterson is the third best prospect in the draft, and the Cards got a bargain with Sam Acho in the fourth round. Ryan Williams and Robert Housler were also nice additions.

Atlanta Falcons C plus The trade to get Julio Jones was steep, but it was a solid move in my opinion. The addition of Akeem Dent was pretty good, but I wish the Falcons didn't trade up to get Jacquizz Rodgers

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2011 First Round Draft Notes

April 29th 2011 15:07

I can't say that I'm happy, but I'll have to give Cam Newton a chance. I didn't want the Panthers to take him at number one, but I don't want him to bust now that he's "the guy" for my favorite team. I wish the Panthers took a Marcell Dareus or A.J. Green and give Clausen and Moore another shot. After all, it is rare that a QB does well after just one year. It takes time. Smart teams like the Bucs wait three years for their QB, and the Bucs were rewarded when Josh Freeman had the year he had last season.

Newton is one of my least favorite players already, but I can't deny his athleticism. I just wish he had better footwork and was a better person. Jake Locker deserved to be picked at number eight by the Titans. He was high on their board, fits their system well, and he wasn't a reach. There are plenty of unintelligent people that dropped Locker from the first choice over Sam Bradford the year before, to somebody values in the late teens. And why? Well, that's because suddenly mystifying accuracy problems arose. This happens when those said unintelligent "experts" read stats- meaningless in college football- like completion percentage and don't watch what actually happened. Locker's receivers were terrible, and he was almost always under pressure due to an incompetent line

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