Cam, buckle up…it’s gonna a be a long trip

Now that the dust has settled after the 2011 NFL Draft, I’m going to weigh in on our decision to pick Cam Newton with our #1 pick.

 

If we could rewind time, and it were up to me, I would have probably approached the use of our #1 pick a little differently.  I would have said, “Hey, we need to put together a plan to land a veteran QB, and we should bolster our defensive front with our pick.  Maybe Jimmy Clausen isn’t a bust and he can learn behind a proven vet.”  From discussions with friends, it seems that I wasn’t the only one thinking this way.  So what do we do in actuality?…we go out and and select the athletic, the talented, the “risky” Cam Newton.

 

Here’s why I’m OK with our pick, and actually looking forward to seeing what happens…

 

With a brand new coach in Ron Rivera, and practically an entire new staff, the Carolina Panthers have shown our cards and are making a statement loud and clear.  We are rebuilding.  We are not expecting to win a Super Bowl anytime in the near future.  Bringing in a QB that is going to cost our team an absurd amount of money at this point just isn’t going to happen.  The team has selected Cam Newton to lead us into the future.  I think its evident that the style of a Cam Newton may not look like a Peyton Manning (definitely won’t) or a Tom Brady, but can it win in the NFL….maybe.  That’s all I can ask at this point.  I’ve sat through a couple of woeful seasons and watched a team that may have been the best in the NFC fall due to a quarterback that just could not make things happen.  I understand where we are as a team at this point, and although I don’t agree with all of the moves we’ve made as of late, I will support our most recent move in selecting Cam Newton…..after all, do I have a choice?