Panthers Need A Safe Pick

Tonight is the NFL draft and the Carolina Panthers are on the clock as they will have the first pick in this years draft.  They are not getting  the first pick because of some slick trade that they made but because of futility on the football field in 2010.

The Panthers have gone down hill the last three or four years ever since they gave Jake Delahomme a multi year contract and his arm basically fell off.  That game where he threw five interceptions  on national TV  when at the time the Panthers were like 12-2 on the season has been up hill ever since.

Tonight it seems as if the tenth pick may be just as good as the first pick.  This makes this year not a very good year to have the top pick.  Who ever they pick will get more money than any other in the top ten but will not be any better.  Because it has been such a uphill battle for the Panthers the past few years they can not afford to put the franchise into a five year tail spin if they miss completely on the pick.  They are already spinning and can't afford another five added to the spin.

Who should they pick?  Experts say Cam Newton is the best and yet he is not even rated as the best quarterback in the draft.  Those ESPN guys rate him as the 13th or 14th best player.  Why then if he is rated that low would anybody even consider him as #1 pick?

There are too many red flags surrounding him.  The NFL is a passing league.  They want a quarterback that stays in the pocket and delivers thirty yards down the field.  Newton is  a run first if nobody is open.  The NFL receivers don't come open as soon as they cross the line of scrimmage but quarterbacks have to sit in the pocket and wait.

The reason there are only a few great ones that do that is it takes a lot of mental toughness to sit with your back to a freight train barrelling at you.  There are exceptions such as Michael Vick but there are very few.

The biggest gripe I have against Newton is he is very talented and already he has told the world that he was going to be a head liner.  He thinks his talent will get him by.  If you have seen any of this ESPN Gruden quarterback show the last few weeks when John Gruden has had one on one sessions with the top quarterbacks in the NFL draft, Newton could not even call out a play.

The Panthers need to make a safe move with a player who can play right away.  They don't need a quarterback who is going to be a backup for three years and learn from the #1.  Who is the Panthers #1 quarterback so who is going to teach him.

The state that the Panther franchise is at this moment I say stay away from Cam Newton and pick a defensive player or wide receiver.  They just can not afford a high price player that sits and may never get on the field.  They have got to get their monies worth with this pick. 

Those that say they should trade the pick.  Who wants the first pick.  This draft may be full of future Hall Of Famers but they are so close together in ability that it is hard to see any one better than the other.  That tells me that this no not the draft to have the first pick.

Who ever they draft needs to play opening day.