The Talented Mr. Newton

I've started this blog of with two straight NBA posts so I think it's time that I switch gears to the NFL now. Since no one likes talk of a lockout (Or the inevitable depression I'll go into. It will involve lots of crying on Sundays, massive consumption of pizza and wings, laying fetal position on my couch while I flip between FOX and CBS for hours, and many hours of me watching NFL films trying to convince myself that what I'm watching is live and not prerecorded.) I'm going to talk about the only other relevant thing in football right now and that's the combine. How we love the combine because it is always 100% accurate in telling us how great a player will be. Oh, whats that? That's not true? My mistake, it is 100% accurate in telling us how athletic someone is. While the combine can be useful, it can also alter views of players that shouldn't of been altered. Too many times has a players stock fallen or risen based on how fast they ran a 40 or how many bench press reps they completed. Where scouts and fans alike should really look to determine how a player will be in the NFL is at their entire NCAA career. When looking at a player's entire career anyone can usually get a pretty good feeling whether or not a player can play in the NFL. Other things I would look at is their improvement over their time in college. Yes a player may have the talent to take their game to the next level, but did they show the ability to take coaching well, apply that coaching in games, and become better players because of that coaching. Almost everyone is still developing somewhat in college. There are many 5 star high school prospects who come to college and continue to build on their already impressive 40 times and other measurables, but have not developed as an actual football player. So why do scouts expect these kids to keep improving when by the time they get drafted they have hit their physical peek? I would prefer to teach a kid who benches 10 less reps than someone else rather than a kid who can't catch a football. This is why year after year we see successful players emerge that were drafted late and many busts who were drafted early. This is why I believe Cam Newton will be the best QB from this years draft. I know, I know, he is supposed to be drafted pretty early so it's not much of extreme stance to take. Well, after seeing him get beat up by most "experts" after his ballsy combine performance. (Eight of the past 12 quarterbacks drafted in Round 1 have opted not to throw at the combine) This is what I do know about the top two QB's in this years draft. Newton did all the drills which tells me he is not afraid of anything. Watching him play at Auburn this year was something pretty impressive and the guy can simply play football. He is light years ahead in his passing skills than Vince Young was when he was drafted. Newton will be something special in the NFL. Blaine Gabbert did not throw at the combine which tells me he is afraid or hiding something wrong with is throw. Watching him at Missouri was a decent enough. While he was good and made some plays; he never actually scared anyone and I never got the feeling he would put the team on his shoulders to make a play at the end of a game. He is working with the same throwing coach Tebow hired to correct problems with his throwing motion because apparently he also has bad throwing mechanics. Even after all of this Gabbert will be drafted ahead of Newton because....well Newton had the balls to do whatever was asked of him. Some people also came away unimpressed with Newton's interview and impressed with Gabbert's. If the NFL were an interviewing contest than I am sure people like Newton wouldn't ever make it in the league, but this is how people perform on the field and not how they kiss ass.