Cam Newton's future in the NFL

The Game Room
1

I remember lots of criticism of Tebow for being a running quarterback without the guns to back it up (a slow throwing motion is most often cited), whose strengths would be of little value in the NFL. To my eyes, Cam Newton is every bit the athlete Tebow ever was and then some. This bothers me, as I can’t stand him, but it’s as clear as day to me.

Are there similar criticisms of Newton’s ability to compete in the NFL, or is he expected as a potentially dominant force? I could see his being shifted to a Running Back position with the option to throw, but I’ve seen him make some amazing throws. I don’t have any kind of statistics to back me up, but the kid has the arm Tebow never had.

What’s the serious football nerds’ prevailing opinion?

2

He’s definitely playing QB. Newton is all about the money and you get paid best as a QB. Plus teams are becoming more and more willing to play athlete QBs and size is as valuable as ever at the position. Most draft honks have Newton going in the middle of the first round, perhaps in the top 10 depending on how the combine shakes out. Newton is a better passer than Tebow and he’s much taller. The more accurate comparison is Vince Young and I suspect the results will be similar.