NFL Spin Zone
Fansided

Carolina Panthers: Is Cam Newton a Franchise QB or Game Manager?

By Raphael Garcia

facebooktwitterreddit

The “franchise quarterback” is a tag that many athletes under center strive to reach. With the position comes a massive amount of accolades, pressure and usually a large paycheck. However, there is another side of the coin as well; those quarterbacks are given the name “game manager.” While this is a negative connotation, it is a position in which some players have found success. As Danny Kelly of SBNation.com (FieldGulls) discussed back in June, the Carolina Panthers paid Cam Newton a lot of money to tag him as their star quarterback, but with his numbers one must wonder whether or not he is more deserving of the manager tag.

ALSO ON SPIN ZONE: The Worst of Week 5

The answer to that question lies in two different schools of thought. On one side is the question as to whether or not statistics are the end all, be all to the conversation. One the other is the idea that intangibles make a quarterback worthy of the franchise tag. When looking at Newton he dabbles in both areas quite frequently.

From a statistical point of view it is hard to argue that Newton puts up franchise quarterback numbers. Through four games his stat line includes completing 67-of-121 attempts for 55 percent. He’s averaging 6.7 yards per attempt and 189.8 per game. To this point he has thrown seven touchdown passes to only two interceptions. These are all solid numbers, but not nearly enough to carry a Panthers team that has surprisingly put up a large amount of points.

More from Carolina Panthers

According to ESPN.com, Newton’s 809 passing yards places him in the 28th spot among all quarterbacks in the league. His passer rating of 88.5 puts him in position 19, which is well below the leaders in the league.

His numbers as a passing quarterback are not enough to carry the debate that he deserves the same type of consideration as other players in that position. What he does add to the equation is that he is a dual-threat quarterback. His ability to take off and run at any moment creates another level of concern that defenses must consider. To this point in the year he’s rushed for 195 yards and two touchdowns on 43 attempts. Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson (198) is the only other quarterback with more rushing yards than Newton.

Oct 11, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) runs the ball against Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Carlos Dunlap (96) in overtime at Paul Brown Stadium. Cincinnati defeated Seattle 27-24. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

It is worth noting that Newton and Wilson have very similar stat lines, but Wilson has played one more game than Newton to date. During the off-season (as reported by ESPN.com wire services), Wilson also signed a new deal with the Seahawks to recognize his value to the team.

One must look beyond Newton’s stats in order to understand how he is a franchise quarterback that can immediately impact the game. Even as he’s intently working on his interception rate and decision making, Newton is a different type of quarterback.

Chris Wesseling of NFL.com reported in June that Newton is making specific strides to become more of a pocket-first type of quarterback, and his numbers through this point in the year prove that point. His numbers are not phenomenal, but that is due to taking a more “cautious” style of play that keeps the ball safe. It will be interesting to see whether or not he continues on this trajectory throughout the year. All and all the answer to whether or not Newton is a franchise quarterback lies in how the team players. With a 4-0 record it’s hard to find any complaints about the man calling the plays.

Next: Carolina Panthers: Grades Following Win Over Bucs

More from NFL Spin Zone

Home/Carolina Panthers