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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2011 Pre-Draft Notes

April 26th 2011 14:41

My mock drafts are primarily based on the players I think each team will pick, but the notes are all about my personal opinions. For instance, Cam Newton should not be picked in the top ten at all. There are too many warning signs, and you can't invest a good part of your franchise on someone who may not even try to play at a high level for your team. I don't like Newton's footwork either. Blaine Gabbert shouldn't be a top ten pick, but I would definitely take him in the middle of the first round.

Jake Locker is my best quarterback ranked QB. He's accurate, it's just that his receivers and O-Line were horrible. Locker can be a great player. Why else was he thought of as the number one pick over Sam Bradford? Locker has all the tools, he can scramble, and he's the best leader in this draft. Locker's a stud, just watch.

Colin Kaepernick is the fifth best QB on my board. I love his raw athleticism, arm strength, ability against the pass rush, and overlooked intelligence. Christian Ponder can become a quality starter in a WCO. Ryan Mallett has an arm, but not much else. Andy Dalton seems like just a good backup at the NFL level to me. My QB rankings are as follows:

1. Locker
2. Gabbert
3. Ponder
4. Newton
5. Kaepernick
6. Mallett
7. Dalton

All the other guys, like Ricky Stanzi, aren't worth much except for Pat Devlin. I would give Dev a look in the fourth round. Stanzi should go in the fourth too, because he'll probably end up being an average backup. Greg McElroy is smart, but he doesn't have NFL talent.

Defensive tackle Jurrell Casey is an interesting player to watch come draft day. He's a sleeper that can be an impact player at defensive tackle for a team with another year of development. I love his explosion between the gaps. AJ Green and Marcell Dareus are the two best players in the draft. If I'm the Panthers, I have to take one of those two guys. I would pick Dareus because defensive tackle is more of a need. At least at receiver, you have a stud in Smith and two players with potential in Gettis and LaFell.

Dareus would enable them to move to a 3-4, coach Ron Rivera would like this, and Dan Connor would be able to get some more playing time. Connor is the best run-stopping linebacker you've never heard of. Patrick Peterson isn't a superstar in the making quite yet. Even with all his physical tools, you have to remember that he is only an average coverage player. His ball-skills are pretty good, he can press any receiver, he's got a great mixture of speed and strength, and he's an impact player on returns. However, he needs to work on his coverage skills. Be sure to check tomorrow for part two.

Best QB in Draft

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