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Eligibility controversy or not, no player in recent memory has been more hyped in one year of Division-I football than Cam Newton.
He has gone from playing at a junior college in Texas in 2009 to winning all 13 games of Auburn’s 2010 schedule as well as the Heisman Trophy along the way.
To some, this would be a Cinderella story.
Newton, the talent overlooked by Florida (during the Tim Tebow tenure) and so many other powerhouse schools, played a year at a junior college and became the No. 1 quarterback recruit then won it all with a school that hasn’t won a National Title since 1957.
On the other side of the coin, Auburn had been the most successful SEC West school since the conference split into divisions in 1992. However, they always seemed to be missing the final piece of the National Championship puzzle that, due to unlucky rankings and NCAA violations, had been held just outside their grasp in recent years.
Newton seemed to be a match made in heaven for Auburn.
In true SEC dominance form, Newton was a dual threat QB with a big arm and even bigger personality. The “other” major Alabama football school fell in love with Cam, and even throughout allegations that his father had attempted to sell him to the highest bidding school, he persevered.
That said, the college football season is over, and, if we remove all the talk surrounding him, we can plainly see why Newton's stock should’ve been dropping since he declared for the draft almost two months ago.
The media has hyped up his athleticism and his tenacity while never mentioning his ego or lack of work ethic. However, with his terrible showing at the combine behind us, some experts continue to say he could go No. 1 overall to Carolina.
Why?
Carolina hasn’t given up on Jimmy Clausen. Ron Rivera has hinted that he doesn’t see Clausen as a franchise QB, but will they really take the gamble with Newton with that first overall pick? I doubt it.
That said, the next likely team to pick a QB is Arizona with the fifth overall pick. However, they have more pressing issues, and the current organization doesn’t have time to wait for a rookie to develop. They would be much better suited to grab a free agent or trade for another team’s solid backup than draft a QB here.
Now we slide down to the seventh and eight picks of the 49ers and Titans, respectively. With Alex Smith seeing what he can get in free agency, San Francisco may be without a starting QB. But they are much more suited to a pocket passer like Gabbert, anyhow.
Many Titans fans are calling for Vince Young to be traded or cut, but the reality is that Tennessee would be crazy to cut him and with a new CBA still not completed, a trade gets harder and harder every day.
That trade possibility is made even harder by the $4.25 million bonus that Young is owed on the 10th day of the new league year that started today.
Now, Newton drops to the Vikings at 12th overall, but, seeing as they have a solid line who kept even the geriatric Brett Favre upright most of the season, they are more likely to go after a more pure passer.
Enter Ryan Mallett.
He has character flaws, but is a true leader and could mature into a strong passer in the very tough NFC North.
The concern, then, is that if he drops past No. 12 overall, where does he eventually go? With the exception of possibly the Miami Dolphins and the Seattle Seahawks, no one else is scheduled to pick in the first round has any reason to draft a QB. Not to mention, such a controversial one who could be a big project like Tim Tebow just as easily as he could be a star like Sam Bradford.
No, Bradford isn’t winning the league MVP anytime soon, but he was the most solid rookie the league has seen in the last five years at QB and looks to be for years to come.
The fact is, unless he truly "wows" the scouts on his pro day, learns how to keep his foot out of his mouth, and his ego in check, Cam Newton could easily be the next Brady Quinn.
The cameras will be focused on him at the Radio City Music Hall when the coverage begins on that fateful Thursday night in April, and Newton's face will sure be red—and full of fear—if he’s still around come Friday.
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