While appearing on FOX Sports Radio with the Charlotte Observer’s Darin Gantt, Panthers’ general manager Marty Hurney suggested that Carolina will take a quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick on Thursday.

“This is a quarterback league,” Hurney said. “Look at the order of the draft. The ones who have them are picking low, and the ones who don’t are pick high.”

Hurney went onto say that “this has nothing to do with Jimmy Clausen.” It’s noteworthy that Gantt is convinced that the Panthers will take Cam Newton with the top pick, although that conflicts with Tony Softli’s prediction over the weekend that Carolina will take Alabama DT Marcell Dareus. Softli is a former high-ranking executive with the Panthers, so take his Dareus prediction for what it’s worth.

Hurney could be setting up a smokescreen with his comments about quarterbacks, although the only benefit there would be if some team were interested in trading up for Newton. If no team is, then there’s really no reason for Hurney to be coy about the Panthers’ draft plans at this point. It’s not like someone is going to sneak up ahead of them seeing as how they hold the first overall pick.

My gut says Newton and when I release my final mock draft on Thursday, I don’t imagine that you’ll see anyone else’s name written into that top spot.

Rotoworld.com shares some interesting news about the Panthers and whether or not they may pass on Auburn quarterback Cam Newton:

Former high-ranking Panthers executive Tony Softli predicts that Carolina will pass on Cam Newton and take Alabama DT Marcell Dareus with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.

“They need defensive linemen. They have for awhile,” says Softli, who also has a history with the Rams. “I really think they’re gonna pass on Cam Newton. … I really believe it’s gonna be the defensive tackle.” While we still take everything with a grain of salt, it’s important to note that Softli’s info has been solid this offseason. He was the first to point out Adrian Clayborn’s Erb Palsy condition, and among the first to explicitly report on Ryan Mallett’s drug use at Arkansas.

At this point, we can’t rule out anything as it pertains to the draft and who could be selected where. Since the combine, the majority of draft observers have had Newton mocked to the Panthers with the first overall pick – including myself. I don’t see the Panthers taking a defensive tackle at No. 1 overall, but Softli has more insight into the situation than I do so maybe he’s on to something.

Truth be told, defensive line is a bigger need for Carolina than quarterback. And if they’re not sold on Newton or Missouri’s Blaine Gabbert, then why invest all that money into a player that you’re not completely in love with? (Especially when said player is a quarterback?)

Still though, despite this report I would have to believe that the Panthers will take Newton with the first pick next Thursday. They need to find an impact player with that pick and that’s not to say that Dareus can’t be that type of contributor at some point in his career. But there is no other position on the field that creates as much of an impact as quarterback. And if the Panthers think that Newton can be “the guy,” then there’s no reason not to take him.

The general consensus is that the Panthers will take Auburn quarterback Cam Newton with the No. 1 overall pick later this month. But that could be a problem if owner Jerry Richardson isn’t on board with the idea.

According to CBSSports.com’s Mike Freeman, Richardson isn’t “completely sold” on Newton, although he is expected to defer to his scouting and coaching staff when the Panthers are on the clock. There have been plenty of examples of owners meddling in their teams’ draft plans and it usually winds up having an adverse affect on the franchise. Hopefully for the Panthers’ sake, Richardson butts out.

Freeman also says that the Panthers are “enamored” with Georgia receiver A.J. Green and according to his sources, the team would like to trade down and grab the former Bulldog later in the first round. But that could prove difficult seeing as how teams can’t trade future draft picks without a CBA in place. Thus, teams can only deal 2011 picks, which means Carolina would probably have to accept less for the No. 1 overall pick than a team would usually get for such a high selection, if they do want to move down, that is. (This draft also lacks a consensus No. 1 overall prospect that would make teams want to trade up.)

While this report is certainly intriguing, it’s not enough to sway my opinion that the Panthers will draft Newton with the top selection. This team needs a quarterback and while I have my own reservations about whether or not Newton will prosper at the next level, signs still point to Carolina taking him No. 1.

After leaning towards Blaine Gabbert last week, ESPN’s Adam Schefter now predicts that the Panthers will select Auburn quarterback Cam Newton with the No. 1 overall pick.

“Last week, I sensed Blaine Gabbert,” Schefter said in an ESPN Insider Q&A. “This week, I’m more on the Cam Newton bandwagon. The more I hear, the more it sounds like Newton is the player to beat for the No. 1 pick.”

Schefter goes on to say that the Panthers “need to create buzz to sell some tickets,” which of course is the best reason to draft a player. I mean, if you’re going to invest that much money in a prospect then he better be able to put butts in the seats. Football skills be damned.

Schefter isn’t a draft guru but I’m convinced he has a wiretap on every GM, head coach and player in the league so his words aren’t to be taken lightly. Still, he’s only making a prediction and not reporting anything, so Gabbert and even LSU’s Patrick Peterson are in the mix for the No. 1 overall pick.

That said, I had the Panthers taking Newton in my last mock and if I were to update it today, I would still have the former Auburn QB going No. 1. Carolina doesn’t seem enamored with any of the top defensive linemen and as good as Peterson is, a cornerback has never gone No. 1 or even No. 2. I don’t see Peterson making history this year and if the Panther are down to Newton or Gabbert, I think they’ll take the boom or bust player and pin their future on the former Tiger. (What? Newton and Gabbert are both former Tigers? Well that works out well for that last sentence now doesn’t it?)

Unless it’s a ruse created to lure teams into trading up, all signs point to the Panthers selecting Auburn quarterback Cam Newton with the No. 1 overall pick according to the Charlotte Observer.

Carolina sent six representatives to Auburn’s Pro Day and will attend a private workout by Newton in Alabama on Wednesday. With Blaine Gabbert’s Pro Day coming up on Thursday, the Panthers should have a good idea as to whom they will be selecting with the top pick next month. There have been reports that the injury concerns surrounding the top defensive linemen in this year’s draft have scared the Panthers off, so maybe they’ve narrowed their wish list down to Newton or Gabbert.

Of course, there are rumblings that the Vikings and Bills are interested in Newton as well, so maybe a trade is in order. The Panthers don’t have a second round pick this year, so they may want to trade down in order to regain that selection. If they do trade down, Gabbert, LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson or even Georgia receiver A.J. Green become possibilities for the Panthers depending on how far they fall.

As of right now, this is still a cat and mouse game. The Panthers want to do their due diligence when it comes to scouting prospects, but they also don’t want to make their intentions obvious. If they have a couple of prospects rated close to each other, maybe they wouldn’t mind trading down, acquiring more picks and still landing a player at the top of their board.