NFL draft: Cam Newton will succeed, Tim Tebow won’t
Cam Newton could be first pick in draft.
Tim Tebow was a surprising first-round pick.
Tim Tebow was drafted in the first round by the Denver Broncos last year. That decision was such an overwhelming success that the organization was mocked and ridiculed, the Broncos finished 4-12 and coach Josh McDaniels, who pushed the button on the decision, was fired.
Cam Newton is expected to be the first overall pick of tonight’s NFL draft by Carolina. There’s a pretty good chance many will ridicule them for it. But it says here the Panthers would not be making a mistake.
Loading ...I can’t remember the last time two quarterbacks caused so much debate and even moronic dissection going into a draft. One draft analyst, Nolan Narwocki of Pro Football Weekly, even declared that Newton “has a fake smile.”
If that were the determining factor for success, you can throw out half of the Hall of Fame.
I am not a draft expert, something I’m comfortable admitting since even draft experts are not draft experts. (Hindsight proves that.) But I’ll go out on a limb on this one: Cam Newton will succeed as a starting NFL quarterback and Tim Tebow won’t.
Before I turn it over to you for your thoughts on the subject — and don’t forget to vote in our poll — here are some thoughts from your amateur draftnik.
♦ Tebow: He’s a great kid. He’s popular. He’s religious. I’m guessing you’ve heard all of those things. Did you also know that he ranked fifth in the NFL in jersey sales last season? The top five: 1) Troy Polamalu (Super Bowl winner); 2) Aaron Rodgers (Super Bowl winner); 3) Drew Brees (Super Bowl winner); 4) Peyton Manning (Super Bowl winner); 5) Tebow (9 games, 3 starts, five touchdowns, three interceptions, one fumble, six sacks).
Tebow is a project. He was a great college quarterback who projected as a mid-round pick for a team to take a flier on. McDaniels was a young, cocky coach with an offensive background and his ego convinced him that he could turn Tebow into something great. It was a bad decision. Now Tebow is stuck on a bad team with Brady Quinn and Kyle Orton to learn from. Good luck with that. If anything, there’s less of a chance of Tebow developing now than there was before.
♦ Newton: He has NFL-caliber talent. He has size, speed, strength. He enables a coach to expand the playbook because of his speed. The one trait he and Tebow shared in college is they both knew how to come through in big moments and win big games. The difference is that Newton progressed at a ridiculous rate from the start of last season with Auburn to the end. Tebow, not so much. Newton went from off the NFL radar to projected first-rounder. Tebow remained a source for debate.
Nobody ever has faced the scrutiny and pressure Newton did last season leading up to big games. He succeeded anyway. Whether you believe he is guilty or innocent of shenanigans surrounding his recruiting process, his resolve and resilience are undeniable.
Are there red flags with Newton? Absolutely. NFL teams don’t quickly dismiss potential character flaws before drafts, especially when considering taking the player in the first round. But it’s hard for me to look at what he did in one season at Auburn and project that he is going to faceplant as a pro.
Those are my thoughts. Now, I welcome yours.
NFL draft coverage: I’ll be blogging at least two more times today on the draft. The next post likely will be an early Falcons’ draft column, to be updated later tonight.
By Jeff Schultz
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271 comments Add your comment
95 more touchdowns means a lot
April 28th, 2011
9:49 am
I’ll take Tim Tebow over Cam Newton 365 days a year.
El Bravo
April 28th, 2011
9:49 am
I actually think both will be successful to a degree. They will have solid careers with chances to win Superbowls. If anything, I think Tebow will have more success because of the team he plays for. The Broncos have a history of success and have a stable of play-makers on both sides of the ball. They just need a better D-line and with the second pick in the draft plus the return of Dumervil from injury they should be much improved on D.
Daste
April 28th, 2011
9:50 am
a47,
Can we stop the black QBs comparisons. Russell was not athletic, he was always fat and lazy. Cam has worked hard. He made mistakes and according to his JC coach, all he wanted to do when he got there was win. He worked hard. He didn’t even go out with his friends. He won a national championship and then he came to Auburn and won a national championship. If you want to compare size and speed then he is closer to Ben Roethlisberger. They are both big and athleticism. Like Ben, he’ll be able to shred defenders in order to make plays.
GoldJacket
April 28th, 2011
9:51 am
This is Vince Young all over again. Cam benefited from being a better athlete than 99% of the other players in college – much like Vince Young. The problem will be once he gets to the NFL, every LB, DB and most DEs run a 4.59 or faster. Accuracy and decision making is what he needs the most, and I think he has a lot to improve on. The NFL is giving him a lot more money than he got at Auburn… We’ll see if he still has the drive to keep improving
UGA--Armchair QB
April 28th, 2011
9:53 am
Neither of them are as good as Joe Cox was.
lanier
April 28th, 2011
9:53 am
Jell you created a firestorm here. Wonder why? Its because you are dead wrong about Tebow.
My dad said the scribes cried the same things about Johnny U from Louisville back in the day. and he was throwing the duke which was like throwing a basketball.
Cool your jets Bubba
Jeff Schultz
April 28th, 2011
9:54 am
95 More touchdowns — You do realize you’re comparing Tebow’s 4 year numbers to Newton’s one year numbers, don’t you?
Joey
April 28th, 2011
9:54 am
“Newton: He has NFL-caliber talent”
*******************************
He also has a prison-caliber penchant for lying, stealing, and cheating . . .
Hopeful
April 28th, 2011
9:55 am
agree with Supes, in that, 1.Tebow was able to control games and himself over a 4 year career where Cammy Cam needed three schools and the fog still has not lifted. 2.Agree that Cammy Cam had a terrific season and has potential significant physical upside but most do not have instant success in the NFL due to the mental requirements of the game. Even those with cannons like Stafford or work ethics like Tebow, you’ll need all that plus the brain of a Ryan. Not sure about Cammy Cam yet he’s only played one year in a very simple offense scheme.
Sam
April 28th, 2011
9:56 am
Cam is a used car salesman. He’s a combo of Jamarcus, V. Young, and Q. Carter… He wows coaches and analysts with physical tools but will ultimately disappoint them because of his 10 cent head, lack of morals, and emotional intelligence. If Carolina picks him, it will set them back a decade.
Larry
April 28th, 2011
9:59 am
Come on Jeff! A person can be a character with out truly having any. That is Cam Newton right there–all show.
If what you say is true and Cam Newton is successful in the NFL while Tebow is not–Karma is a lie.
I am hoping that the two scenarios are not mutually exclusive.
Tebow deserves success and will likely earn it. (Yes as a UGA fan my fingers sting typing that)
I have questions about Cam: Can he can lead? Will anyone follow? Will anyone on the Panthers be able to throw a laptop further than he can?
I hope Cam falls on his face–if only to prove to kids everywhere that without following the rules and working hard, success is impossible.
Larry
April 28th, 2011
10:00 am
Daste–also like Ben, Cam has a questionable set of morals.
PMC
April 28th, 2011
10:01 am
I like the size and mobility from both of them. I like Newton’s passing ability a little more, but outside of wide open receivers I think they will both struggle having to throw the ball on timing or in tight windows.
Tebow had some limited success last year. Ultimately Cam Newton is a a more athletic version of Tebow but he lacks some of Tebow’s intangibles.
I think they will both have some success but won’t really acomplish anything unless they become proficient in the pocket. The size and resiliance though you can’t coach.
The problem of course is that Carolina hasn’t been able to get Steve Smith any help for years and years. Cam’s going to have to have someone to throw to.
Cam Newton / Father: Cam Newton has the fire to succeed in the NFL | Sporty Twits
April 28th, 2011
10:02 am
[...] (blog)Look for Cam Newton, Nick Fairley, Marcell Dareus to go 1, 2, 3 in NFL draft …al.comAtlanta Journal Constitution (blog) -SB Nation -CBSSports.comall 1,947 news [...]
Larry
April 28th, 2011
10:02 am
Hey Jeff…and whose fault is it that Cam only played in the SEC 1 year?
PMC
April 28th, 2011
10:04 am
The leadership abilities of Newton are obvious. I know he can get people to trust him because he did. I’m just not sure he’s going to adjust quickly enough to the NFL game because he lacks experience and there’s not much help for him in Carolina.
DC Dirty Bird
April 28th, 2011
10:06 am
Its amazing how so many people believe that Cam Newton doesn’t have drive, isn’t a hard worker, and can’t read defenses. They said that Vick couldn’t read defenses too. They said that he’d never complete over 60% of his passes in a season. Guess what, if you have the physical tools to play this game, the heart to stay in the pocket, and put in the repetitions that the great ones do, you’ve got a great chance to be great. Here’s what people are missing, Cam Newton is 6-6, he can make all the throws, and he knows that once he stops being successful, no one will give him attention. Tebow has everything except for the fluidity normally seen in great QB’s. God may elevate him to greatness just to show us naysayers just how powerful he is, but looking at Tebow now, he doesn’t have the throwing motion, hip movement, or touch on his passes to be great.
JSS
April 28th, 2011
10:06 am
A blogger who has all the sensibilities of Heinrich Himmler talking about “morals” has to be a first! Who knew?
McDawg
April 28th, 2011
10:08 am
stop bullying tebowb/c of his homo-erotic tendencies
this blog could use al little sensitivity training
and i for one want more lesbian sportscasters on ESPN
Joey
April 28th, 2011
10:09 am
Who’s the Himmler on here?
Black Coffee & Bourbon
April 28th, 2011
10:10 am
Cam “I Can’t Name One Play” Newton is going to be a gigantic NFL bust. NFL playbooks are gigantic and even with a dumbed down version for his rookie year I expect Cam to struggle. But hey, at least he’ll have a fat bank account to buy all the choir robes his daddy needs…
Contractor
April 28th, 2011
10:10 am
This is the dumbest column I have ever read. I am a Georgia fan, but a big fan of Tebow and his work ethic. Tebow’s work ethic is miles and miles ahead of Newton’s lackadaisical approach to the game. Tebow is stronger, and a more fierce competitor. Once Newton gets nailed by Ray Lewis, he won’t seem as invincible as he did running into the likes of a 5′9, 190 pound cornerback. Tebow has actually started for a mediocre team and performed quiet well considering the fire he was thrown in. He has progressed beautifully, and will continue to work hard until the end of his career. There is no quit in Tim Tebow. Newton on the other hand has the mentality that everyone owes him something and he is the King. He won’t receive any respect from anyone until he earns it, which won’t happen, because I don’t believe he is mentally mature enough to handle the NFL and his own ego. There will be a target on his back that I don’t think he will ever shed with any kind of great performance. Yes, the guy is a physical freak being that big, weighing that much, and running that fast. But I’ve got news for you, EVERYONE in the NFL is big, fast, mean, and athletic. I project Newton as another Vince Young, and we see how well he turned out, considering his dominating Championship season at Texas. I’d be willing to put money on this.
Larry
April 28th, 2011
10:11 am
PMC–how are his leadership skills obvious!? He couldn’t call a play for Gruden. You think he would know if someone screwed up their assignment and correct them in the huddle? No way.
Cam is all about padding Cam’s stats. If someone at Auburn screwed up their assignment–no problem it is a few more yards for Cam!
You don’t earn respect in an NFL locker room by kissing your hands. I can’t wait until he tries to run over a NFL LB and just gets lit up.
I read that in Atlanta, they had to dumb down the playbook for Mike Vick. Well Cam is a bigger, slower, and dumber Mike Vick–so get ready for a 6 play offense Carolina fans!
Emmysmom
April 28th, 2011
10:11 am
95 more touchdowns means a lot–are you serious? Cam Newton had only one year at Auburn.
McDawg
April 28th, 2011
10:13 am
“progressed beautifully”
see what i am talking about? Schultz has been outed as an insensitive bully
ATLER ( ramblin wreck )
April 28th, 2011
10:13 am
I see the birthers have focused they attention on Auburn QB or Should have been UGAY TE Cam Newton now that our President has put the issue to rest. It crazy how so many people are cheering for Cam to fail…… what is wrong with you people???!!!!!!
Najeh Davenpoop
April 28th, 2011
10:14 am
Tebow is not that bad of an NFL quarterback. I agree Cam is a much better prospect, and Tebow probably doesn’t have NFL stardom in his future, but that doesn’t mean he can’t do what, say, Jake Plummer did in his career.
And anyway, as far as young QBs are concerned, the situation in which they land (whether the offense suits their skills, whether their coach believes in them, etc.) has so much more impact on their NFL success.
Pocaroba sausage
April 28th, 2011
10:15 am
I just don’t see how you could blame one rookie qb who didn’t even play much after one season with a bad team as a bust. Don’t most first year qb’s who even play alot have struggles. Denver didn’t stink last year becuase Tebow was on the team.
ATLER ( ramblin wreck )
April 28th, 2011
10:18 am
95 more touchdowns means a lot
April 28th, 2011
9:49 am
I’ll take Tim Tebow over Cam Newton 365 days a year.
Dude you have to be a freakin idiot!!!!!!!!!!!!! 4 years vs 1???!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Joey
April 28th, 2011
10:19 am
Right Najeh, or Trent Dilfer? He wasn’t a pretty passer, but he was a good enough game manager to get a Super Bowl ring.
Larry
April 28th, 2011
10:21 am
Emmysmom–he got 1 year at Auburn because:
A) He was a thief at Florida and has something like 15 run-ins with the law.
B) He chose to leave Florida a team, to which,he had “Committed.”
C) He chose to play at a Junior College rather than sitting out a year truly learning an offense.
D) He left Auburn early abandoning his “Family” (as they like to call it there).
Now that is Character right there!
DC Dirty Bird
April 28th, 2011
10:21 am
Contractor, what are your opinions based on. So Newton is going to get hit by a smaller man and develop the yips on the football field? Last I checked Ray Lewis isn’t 6-6 250+. You’re right, if Newton acts like a baby when he’s not everyone’s hero, he will be like Vince Young. Guess what though, Newton didn’t have the charmed life that Young had from HS through college. He went from being the next big thing at FL to Blinn College to constant scrutiny while at Auburn. You don’t think he wants to prove you wrong just as bad as you want him to fail?
Larry, did you watch football last season. Did you not see Mike Vick shred defenses with his arm? BTW, Gruden didn’t ask him to call a play, he said “call something that was wordy”. If Auburn didn’t have a wordy system then he can’t give Gruden a wordy play. The real tell would have been if Newton called out some simplistic play and considered it wordy.
Larry
April 28th, 2011
10:23 am
Atler…while it is not fair to compare 4 Tebow years to 1 Newton year. Cam’s own choices kept him from playing in the SEC longer than he did.
icallbs
April 28th, 2011
10:23 am
Success at QB in the NFL is the sum of a high work ethic + intelligence . Cam better have a REALLY strong work ethic.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 28th, 2011
10:23 am
About the spread offense thing, it’s not like that’s a death sentence for a QB prospect. It just means the learning curve is generally going to be steeper than the learning curve of someone like Matt Ryan who comes into the league with three years of experience running a pro style scheme. Sam Bradford ran a scheme that utilized a lot of spread concepts at Oklahoma and it didn’t stop him from having a successful rookie season. If I remember right, Ben Roethlisberger didn’t run a pro style
scheme at Miami of Ohio either. Again, it’s just about how much belief the coaches have in the player and how willing they are to tailor their offense to the quarterback’s skills… and of course how much work the player is willing to put in to learn the offense.
ATLER ( ramblin wreck )
April 28th, 2011
10:25 am
Larry
April 28th, 2011
10:02 am
Hey Jeff…and whose fault is it that Cam only played in the SEC 1 year?
HUH????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Larry
April 28th, 2011
10:26 am
I didn’t say Vick wasn’t good–as a matter of fact he was stellar last year. I am glad too!
In Atlanta they dumbed down the playbook for him. Could have been due to a lack of intelligence or an unwillingness to prepare. Either way they dumbed it down for him.
Larry
April 28th, 2011
10:27 am
See 10:23 post:
Atler…while it is not fair to compare 4 Tebow years to 1 Newton year. Cam’s own choices kept him from playing in the SEC longer than he did.
Contractor
April 28th, 2011
10:28 am
DC Dirty Bird,
He did have the charmed life as you put it at Westlake. He was a highly recruited guy out of high school. Ray Lewis isn’t 6′6, but he is 6′2-250 with a mean and competitive streak that Newton has never faced before. He will yelp by getting hit by defenders smaller than him in the NFL because they are all better athletes and of his caliber, He has never really been hit, so it will definitely hurt. I wasn’t saying everyone in the league was 6′6, just meaning they are all big, strong, and fast. He went the route he went because of stupid mistakes that put him in those situations. It wasn’t like a hardship or injury put him there, but stupid decisions. He apparently hasn’t learned anything, because he is still the exact same egotistical guy he was before, that thinks he can’t be touched. Yes, he does want to prove us wrong, but he won’t.
Larry
April 28th, 2011
10:28 am
Cam had every opportunity to be the next Tim Tebow–same school same everything…except a different moral compass.
Cam Newton
April 28th, 2011
10:30 am
“I see myself not only as a football player, but an entertainer and icon.”
Cam Newton
April 28th, 2011
10:31 am
“Not to sound arrogant, but what I did in one year, others couldn’t do in their entire collegiate careers.”
ATLER ( ramblin wreck )
April 28th, 2011
10:31 am
Larry it was the Coach’s choice to have Tebow start over Cam. That’s why Florida didn’t mind letting Cam go. Tebow was the next coming of Christ!!!!!! Why are some many people wanting a confident kid to fail???? Cam’s going to be a great QB because of his will to win and it’s going to eat you Cam haters up. Then you’ll keep talking about him mistakes in college 10 years from now. I hate when we Southerners do thinks like this. I guess we can blame Obama for winning the presidency and angering white America.
DC Dirty Bird
April 28th, 2011
10:31 am
Its always good to hear someone speak good football sense. Thank you Najeh.
Larry, Cam Newton left school early. He didn’t “get” 1-year. He could have come back for one more year at Auburn. Even though he was at FL for 2 seasons, he took a medical red-shirt his sophmore year.
ATLER ( ramblin wreck )
April 28th, 2011
10:35 am
Larry why do you HATE Cam so much????? Did he slap your mom or something????!!!!!!! Cam will succeed in the NFL.
Alphare
April 28th, 2011
10:38 am
Jeff, have you heard Tommy Tuberville is a birther?
No wonder he could win an NC in Auburn.
ugaclassof2004
April 28th, 2011
10:40 am
Honestly Jeff,
I think they’re both about the same. Both come from spread offense’s and both are projects. Newton is the better physical speciman while Tebow has more of the intangibles, neither of which should be underestimated.
Tebow did better than I thought he would last season, considering that I think owner Pat Bolen essentially brought him in to sell jersey’s. But I’m not sure if the Broncos are committed to keeping him now, especially with Elway on staff. I could see Tebow being kind of a journeyman/backup guy and giving a team some juice every once in a while, kind of like a Jeff Garcia. But in terms of being a franchise guy, I’m just not sure.
Cam Newton is a huge question mark. He is a freak athlete and guys like Vick and Vince Young, who were in the same boat, had a few decent seasons or two while also having a few horrible ones. It really depends on the organization, the supporting cast around him, and the creativity of the offensive coaching staff. Ron Rivera certainly isn’t an offensive coach and is unproven as a head coach. So I think he would be a bad pick for Carolina. But if teams are willing to take a risk on Tebow in the 1st round, they’ll do the same for Cam.
DC
April 28th, 2011
10:42 am
Why are you all saying Cam doesn’t have any work ethic?…seems he is in tip top shape if you ask me…seems the scouts love it too…
Cam knew he wasn’t going to be a full time starter at FL and he wasn’t mature enough to run the offense…he transfers..he wins title at JUCO..transfers to AU..wins NC & Heisman…
Bitter bitter fans from the SEC..
McDawg
April 28th, 2011
10:43 am
Cam Newton was the most dominate college football player EVER how that translates to the pros is anybody’s guess
PMC
April 28th, 2011
10:45 am
Larry, because he won a national title at Auburn largely due to his abilities. No one from Auburn has said anything but great things about him. He won the job there and proceded to lead them through challenge after challenge.
Most importantly, he led his team back from a more than 20 pt deficit away in a game against his teams rivals. So clearly he can handle adversity.