Cam Newton Can Be A ‘Special Passer’

One of the best parts of watching football is taking the time to break down games and truly admire the talents of the best players in the nation. There are few who do this as well as ESPN’s Ron Jaworski and today on SportsCenter he revealed what he saw when watching Carolina Panthers rookie quarterback Cam Newton play last season.

Newton burst onto the scene as a rookie and did not face the slow transition into the NFL that many believed he would face, after coming from a spread offense in college. With his spectacular play, Jaws saw traits in Newton that caused him to say the Panthers quarterback can develop into a special passer.

“No one is a great quarterback in the NFL because of the way they run,” said Jaworski. “… [Newton] played very well from the pocket. … What also stood out was Newton’s patience in the pocket. And his ability to sit on his back foot and cut it loose. He made seam throws that were firm and required arm strength, yet demanded touch.

“Newton hung in the pocket and delivered without flinching. He was very good in the eye of the storm. This kid is a big-time talent. He still needs more experience, but the traits are there to be a special passer.”

Newton was originally thought to be a run-first quarterback when he was entering the draft. Jaws believes Newton’s strongest attribute is his passing prowess, but that does not mean Newton’s rushing ability is not crucial to his evolving as an overall player.

“It starts with passing, but [Newton’s] ability to break down a defense with his legs gives him an edge like few have ever had,” Jaworski said. “The read-option in the red zone is an added dimension that Newton brings. His speed is a decisive factor.

“One element I’ve talked about discussing Aaron Rodgers is the ability on third down to defeat man coverage by running. Newton gives you that same quality. That’s a real problem for a defense. It limits their coverage concepts.”

 With all of this talent, where does Jaws rank Newton among the league’s passers? He currently has him ranked 15th in his daily SportsCenter segment with NFL Films’ Greg Cosell, but Newton’s stock is only rising.

“From a skill-set standpoint,” Jaws said, “Newton could easily rank higher than 15th on my big board. He’s a top-ten talent. He needs more snaps; one year is not enough. But I can’t wait to see him in a few months.”

There is no doubting Newton’s talent. He showed everyone that he was worthy of the number one pick in last year’s draft and he still has a lot of untapped potential. It’s scary to think of how high Newton’s ceiling is.

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