Tag: Cam Newton (Page 12 of 17)

      2011 NFL Mock Draft 1.0

      February 14, 2011 /
      Missouri Tigers quarterback Blaine Gabbert runs onto the field for a game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Faurot Field in Columbia, Missouri on October 23, 2010. UPI/Bill Greenblatt

      2011 NFL Draft Needs: AFC East | AFC North | NFC East | NFC North

      I usually don’t release my first mock draft until after the scouting combine, but if devote one more post to Albert Pujols’ contract situation I think my head will explode.

      This is an extremely rough draft, one in which I’m basically just trying to match needs. With it only being February 14, it’s hard to do much else at this point.

      1. Carolina Panthers: Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri
      Carolina’s biggest need may actually be defensive tackle, which is why Auburn’s Nick Fairley is being talked about at this spot. But if you have the chance to draft a franchise quarterback with your first pick, you don’t pass on that opportunity. There have been reports that Gabbert’s stock is falling, but I don’t buy that. He’s got great size, a strong arm and is an accurate passer. What more do you want out of a quarterback prospect?

      2. Denver Broncos: Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn
      The Broncos’ top two needs are cornerback and defensive tackle, so with the Panthers passing on Fairley at No. 1, he’s a great fit for Denver at No. 2. The Broncos are expected to switch to a 4-3 under new head coach John Fox and what better way to usher in a new scheme than to add the best defender in the draft? Jamal Williams probably won’t be back because he’s not a great fit for the 4-3, while Marcus Thomas and Justin Bannan are fits for the scheme but not disruptive players. That’s where Fairley comes in.

      3. Buffalo Bills: Cam Newton, QB, Auburn Tigers
      The opinions on Newton vary. Some believe he’s sure to go in the top-10 while others think he’ll fall into the second round. I’m somewhere in between. He certainly has the size and athletic ability to be a top-5 pick but there are questions about whether or not he can run a pro-style offense. That’s why Buffalo is an intriguing landing spot for him. Chan Gailey likes quarterbacks who can run and are versatile, which obviously fits Newton. Will the Bills think highly enough of him to take him at No. 3 though?

      4. Cincinnati Bengals: D’aQuan Bowers, DE, Clemson
      The Bengals’ biggest needs are wide receiver and safety, so Georgia wideout A.J. Green is an option here. But if Bowers falls, I can’t see the Bengals passing on one of the best defenders in the draft. Carlos Dunlap is a fixture at one end spot and Robert Geathers is nice in a rotation, but Antwan Odom has been a major injury concern the last two years and Michael Johnson is still a project, so the team would find room for Bowers.

      5. Arizona Cardinals: Tyron Smith, OT, USC
      The Cardinals’ biggest need is at quarterback but many pundits believe they’ll look to add a signal caller through free agency. The Cardinals have drafted only one offensive lineman in the first four rounds since Ken Whisenhunt became head coach in 2007. They’re due to address the position and while Smith may be a reach at this spot, he’s an athletic marvel that could give the Cards options at tackle down the road.

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      College Football, External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      Mike Mayock top-5 prospects at each position

      February 11, 2011 /
      Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett (15) is chased from the pocket by Ohio State defensive lineman Cameron Hayward (97) during first half action of the 77th Annual Allstate Sugar Bowl at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana January 4, 2011. UPI/A.J. Sisco

      Mike Mayock is one of the more respected NFL draft analysts in the business. Rotoworld does a great job following his rankings and they recently compiled his top-5 prospects at every position.

      Quarterbacks
      1. Blaine Gabbert, Missouri
      2. Jake Locker, Washington
      3. Cam Newton, Auburn
      4. Ryan Mallett, Arkansas
      5. Andy Dalton, TCU

      Comments: Mayock says he’s not done with his quarterback evaluation, but he’s made some changes since January. He’s now got Dalton alone in the five spot after the Horned Frogs’ four-year starter previously shared the position with Ricky Stanzi, Colin Kaepernick, and Pat Devlin. Devlin’s stock appears to have plummeted since a poor showing at the East-West Shrine Game. Senior Bowl MVP Christian Ponder remains absent from the list.

      Check out the rest of his positional rankings.

      It’ll be interesting to see if Newton eventually moves past Locker (or even Gabbert, for that matter) the closer we get to the draft. Locker was unimpressive during Senior Bowl week and Newton’s personal media workout on Thursday was reportedly “phenomenal.”

      Of course, the quarterback in this year’s class that intrigues me the most is Mallett. At 6’6” and 238 pounds, he certainly has the size to be a NFL quarterback. He also has great arm strength and he’s coming off a year in which he threw for 3,869 yards and 32 touchdowns.

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      College Football, External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      Newton’s media day workout “phenomenal”?

      February 10, 2011 /
      Auburn Tigers Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Cam Newton warms up for the Tigers game against the Oregon Ducks at the BCS Championship game at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, AZ, January 10,2011. UPI/Art Foxall

      At least one analyst enjoyed Auburn quarterback Cam Newton’s media day workout.

      From Bruce Feldman’s Twitter page:

      Cam Newton session is done. Wow. Trent Dilfer: “That was phenomenal. If scouts saw this they’d have been slobbering.” More on ESPN.com later

      The workout was done in a controlled environment, so it’s not surprising that Newton impressed. But considering he’s been working on his footwork and trying to get acclimated to taking snaps from under center, this is a positive report.

      There’s no doubt that Newton has the physical tools to be a first round pick and maybe even a top-5 selection. He’s 6-6, 250 pounds, has tremendous athleticism and very good arm strength. You could make a case for being the best quarterback in this year’s draft class, which includes Missouri’s Blaine Gabbert (whom many pundits have listed as the top signal caller).

      Of course, the one question that often gets overlooked at this time of year as it pertains to draft prospects is whether or not they have the work ethic. Is Newton willing to put in the work to become great? Not every prospect has Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Drew Brees or Aaron Rodgers’ natural abilities but devotion has nothing to do with how accurate or far you can throw a pass. JaMarcus Russell could throw a ball 50 yards from the seat of his pants but the guy never studied or had the desire to be any better than he was. Simply put, his work ethic stunk.

      Players find out rather quickly that their natural abilities will only take them so far in the NFL. It’ll be interesting to see if Newton has the work ethic to match his draft standing.

      College Football, External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      Is Newton’s February workout just a publicity stunt?

      January 31, 2011 /
      Auburn Tigers quarterback and Heisman trophy winner Cam Newton smiles during the warm ups at the BCS Championship game at the University of Phoenix stadium in Glendale, Arizona on January 10, 2011. Auburn beat the Oregon Ducks 22-19 to win the national championship. UPI/Gary C. Caskey

      According to CBS Sports, at least one NFL front office executive believes that Auburn quarterback Cam Newton’s individual workout on February 10 is just a publicity stunt.

      I asked a handful of scouts about this workout. All were mystified as to what gains could be made with what one front officie executive termed a “publicity stunt.”

      One high level scout put it this way:

      “The Newtons would be best to realize they aren’t in college anymore. Regardless of how good he looks for [the media], there isn’t going to be a bidding war for him. We’re not recruiting him. They could wind up turning more people against them than for them with this [workout].”

      As Rob Rang of CBS points out, NFL scouts are forbidden to attend a workout like this that was set up by the player (or agent, or whomever). This will be a media-only event, which raises questions as to why Newton’s camp would want to set up a workout like this in the first place.

      If Newton struggles, then the media will hammer him. If he performs well, then the NFL may be turned off by what appears to be a workout to upstage the league’s process for evaluating prospects. It seems like an inevitable lose-lose situation for Newton.

      College Football, External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      SEC losses another star, as Georgia’s Houston opts for NFL draft

      January 17, 2011 /

      Chris Low of ESPN.com reports that Georgia All-SEC outside linebacker Justin Houston has decided to declare early for the NFL draft. Houston finished second in the SEC this season with 10 sacks, which gave him 17.5 sacks over the past two seasons.

      Houston is the latest SEC underclassmen to turn pro over the past month. Teammate A.J. Green announced last week that he was skipping his senior season to enter the NFL draft, which means the Bulldogs will lose four linebackers and their star receiver this offseason. (Darryl Gamble and Akeem Dent were seniors, while Marcus Dowtin is transferring to another school.)

      Late last week, quarterback Cam Newton and defensive tackle Nick Fairley of Auburn decided to forego their senior seasons and enter the draft. Kentucky will also be without Randall Cobb next season, while Alabama will lose running back Mark Ingram, receiver Julio Jones and defensive end Marcell Dareus to the NFL.

      Fairley could have company in the top 5 if scouts view fellow SEC player Ryan Mallett (Arkansas) as a top selection. At 6-6 and 238 pounds, Mallett certainly has the size and arm strength to develop into a starting quarterback at the next level, but some have questioned his inability to close out big games and lead his team in crunch time.

      LSU’s Patrick Peterson and Stevan Ridley are two more names that the SEC will lose this offseason, but the conference is always producing new talent. It will repopulate.

      College Football, External Sports, NFL

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