Everyone start saying a prayer

[TennesseePackerBacker]

The problem with Newton is not that he's Jamarcus Russell. The problem with Newton is that his college experience has him doing the zone read stuff, and having to wait for a receiver to become open before he throws the ball. He doesn't see the field all that well. If he doesn't learn to throw the ball to the spot that the receiver is going to be before the receiver is open, and he never learns to read the whole field... then he won't make it as an NFL QB, no matter how good an athlete he is. In theory, you could teach him these things... but money changes people and in theory you could teach Jamarcus Russell and Alex Smith to do these things too.

Best post of the thread. Vince Young suffered and still suffers from this same problem. All the athletic ability in the world can't make up for technique in the NFL. Newton might be able to relearn the way he approaches the quarterback position, but I'd bet against it.

[Freak Out]

So how many GMs take a chance on him if they have the 1st pick? Is he the kind of guy you build a team around or a project? I'm voting project. The guy has some crazy football ability but does it translate to NFL success as a QB?

[Guiness]

Guisness, don't forget about Lock from Washington who was projected to be a top 5 pick but stayed in school. Now he's not even a first round draft pick. Also have to factor in if they put in a rookie cap, Luck will not get nearly as much money.

I was alluding to the rookie cap in my post - what happens there could make a huge difference to any decision by top college players. Does he stand to make a windfall? Even if there is a rookie cap, I would still think the #1 pick would end up with a pretty damn good contract, but I guess any thoughts on that are pure conjecture. Certainly there'll be a lot more money than if he were to slip to the second.

Is there definitely going to be a draft this year? Could this be a matter of him playing his cards close to the vest? If there's no CBA, do they hold one? I wonder how the NCAA would handle a player who declared, then there was no draft?

[SkinBasket]

Newton is a retard who deserves to be executed. And his throwing mechanics kind of suck ass whenever there's pressure. And he can't run for shit against good defenses, which means he ain't going to be running nowhere in the NFL.

B.U.S.T.

[Guiness]

Both guys played in the SEC. Newton went for 66%, 30 TDs, and 7 picks. Russell went for 68%, 28 TDs, and 8 picks. Almost identical. Newton is more athletic than Russell and he seems like a harder worker, so I'm not projecting him to do anything. However, his comparison has as much chance of being correct as your comparison to Big Ben.

Lies, damn lies and statistics.

The guy's line through college doesn't mean much in a vacuum. I don't know much about either guy's career, and if they are similar at all, but all the line tells me is that they appear to both have had good college careers. Flynn was 56.1% with 31TD's and 14INT's. Pretty similar too, no?

[MadScientist]

Both guys played in the SEC. Newton went for 66%, 30 TDs, and 7 picks. Russell went for 68%, 28 TDs, and 8 picks. Almost identical. Newton is more athletic than Russell and he seems like a harder worker, so I'm not projecting him to do anything. However, his comparison has as much chance of being correct as your comparison to Big Ben.

Split the difference and call him Daunte Culpepper 2.0?

[Brandon494]

Both guys played in the SEC. Newton went for 66%, 30 TDs, and 7 picks. Russell went for 68%, 28 TDs, and 8 picks. Almost identical. Newton is more athletic than Russell and he seems like a harder worker, so I'm not projecting him to do anything. However, his comparison has as much chance of being correct as your comparison to Big Ben.

No its not because I'm going by actually watching these players, not going by stats. Andrew Luck went for 70% for 32 TDs and 8 TDs, does that mean he'll be the next Russell?

[Brandon494]

So how many GMs take a chance on him if they have the 1st pick? Is he the kind of guy you build a team around or a project? I'm voting project. The guy has some crazy football ability but does it translate to NFL success as a QB?

No one is going to start him #1 overall. He'll go in the mid to late first round because hes a project just like Tebow.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Lies, damn lies and statistics.

The guy's line through college doesn't mean much in a vacuum. I don't know much about either guy's career, and if they are similar at all, but all the line tells me is that they appear to both have had good college careers. Flynn was 56.1% with 31TD's and 14INT's. Pretty similar too, no?

I don't really care. Just pointing out there are similarities between the two. Similar size. Both played in the same conference with similar results. Both are athletic. Both have big arms. Both have questionable accuracy (despite having great completion % in college). Both played in systems where the transition to the NFL might be tough. Race isn't the only reason they are compared. Now, Netwon is more athletic, and he appears to be a harder worker. Maybe he's the next Big Ben. Maybe he's the next JaMarcus Russell. Maybe he falls somewhere in between--like Daunte Culpepper or Josh Freeman. Outside of Big Ben, I'm not sure there's a big, athletic white dude to compare him to. Maybe Ryan Leaf. He was big and athletic. So was David Klingler.

[RashanGary]

Josh Freeman might be really good, Harvey. Hard worker, great tools. . . . It's tough to compare anyone to him because you don't know what he could become. I'm intrigued by Josh Freeman.

[HarveyWallbangers]

You certainly can't argue with the results up this point. Good stats and his team won 10 games. To be honest though, I haven't watched him much. I don't get to see Tampa Bay games that often. I even missed the Green Bay-Tampa Bay game last year.

Comparing him to Daunte isn't an insult. I happen to think that Daunte was pretty damn good at his best (and before he blew out his knee). They're all huge, mobile QBs with big arms. Freeman seems to have the leadership, work ethic, and smarts that Russell lacked.

[Guiness]

Culpepper was indeed a damn good QB for a number of years. Huge, and knew how to use his size - I remember his bowling over our DE's a couple of times.

[Lurker64]

The guy I'd really like to see the Vikings pick is Ryan Mallet, our of Arkansas. He's unathletic, immobile, can only throw to guys who are open, is terribly inaccurate on checkdowns, is at least as much of an entitled asshole as Ryan Leaf, and he comes from the offense that made Brian Brohm a star in college. That, right there, is the perfect Vikings quarterback.

[MadScientist]

Comparing him to Daunte isn't an insult. I happen to think that Daunte was pretty damn good at his best (and before he blew out his knee). They're all huge, mobile QBs with big arms. Freeman seems to have the leadership, work ethic, and smarts that Russell lacked.

Right, Culpepper was good before injuries and trading Moss took their toll. Not quite the career of Big Ben, but he still gave the Packers fits for years. That's why I won't wish for the Vikings to get Cam, because there is a fair shot that he will give the Packers fits for years. There will be enough trouble in the division with Chi, and with Det on the rise.

It's only safe to wish the for a lack of success for the Vikings (except for getting a new stadium, I'd like them to stay in the division and suck).

[HarveyWallbangers]

I want the Vikings to take that Gabbert guy.