Clausen vs. Newton

[North Buffalo Irish]

Any thoughts on this? As much as pundits will say Cam has been hurt by the lack of pre-season preparation due to the lockout, the time before the second season could have been crucial for a player like Clausen. I hope Jimmy gets another chance because the team he was playing on last season was absolutely hopeless, but I just can't see it happening with all the pressure to play the #1 pick.

I would gladly take him on the Bills for a mid/low-round pick, and have him sit behind Fitzpatrick for a year or two.

A bit of an aside, but isn't it a joke that quarterbacks are nowadays deemed awful after their rookie season on a terrible team? It's like you either pull a Sam Bradford or you are immediately a bum.

 

[HereComeTheIrish]

Any thoughts on this? As much as pundits will say Cam has been hurt by the lack of pre-season preparation due to the lockout, the time before the second season could have been crucial for a player like Clausen. I hope Jimmy gets another chance because the team he was playing on last season was absolutely hopeless, but I just can't see it happening with all the pressure to play the #1 pick.

I would gladly take him on the Bills for a mid/low-round pick, and have him sit behind Fitzpatrick for a year or two.

A bit of an aside, but isn't it a joke that quarterbacks are nowadays deemed awful after their rookie season on a terrible team? It's like you either pull a Sam Bradford or you are immediately a bum.

Brady Quinn agrees with this sentiment...

 

[military_irish]

I think Clausen is probably the better Qb but Cam is a better athletic specimen. Cam will start because the media is hyping him up big time, which in turn will get the fans going. It is all political, which sounds better a number one pick Heisman winner starting or a second round "arrogant" former Notre Dame QB?

I would take Clausen in a heart beat, but that is me.

 

[Irish2015]

Clausen's gonna have to play lights out in his preseason game for them to not start cam.

 

[BurningRiver]

Brady Quinn agrees with this sentiment...

during quinn's first string of starts where he looked good (close loss to Denver in which he threw for ~250 and 2 TD and a win in Buffalo in which he didn't necessarily play well but managed the game well) he had a pretty decent supporting cast and looked solid. the Browns OLine was/is very good, and at the time he had Braylon Edwards (who i despise) Kellen Winslow (pre-browns-career-ending staph infection) and (pre-manslaughter) dante stallworth. he hurt his finger in the buffalo game, tried to play through it, and basically stunk up the joint the next week against houston. so I didnd't really count that one. so he showed that he can at least be a serviceable QB in the NFL with a good supporting cast. Unfortunately, the browns cleaned house before his first full year as a starter, and he had almost no supporting cast.

I really hope he gets another shot. i have his autoraph on a browns hat he signed for me at training camp. He was walking by and saw my ND shirt and said "ND fans, huh?" and signed our stuff. He seemed like a good guy.

 

[irishfan]

Carolina really should have gone after a veteran QB. They could be pretty decent this year if they can get solid QB play. DeAngelo and Stewart in the backfield, Olsen and Shockey at TE and obviously Steve Smith still at WR. Even getting someone like Hasselbeck or some veteran with starting experience who isn't Derek Anderson could have been huge.

 

[Riddickulous]

Clausen faces overwhelming odds, for numerous reasons:

1) Even when acknowledging the Panthers as the terrible team they were last year, Jimmy Clausen was garbage. He completed 52.2% of his passes for a measly 3 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. Check out this video of every Clausen pass vs. the Saints...

Jimmy CLAUSEN vs New Orleans Saints 2010 Week 9 - YouTube

He didn't want to throw downfield. At all.

2) Cam Newton was the first overall pick and is being paid a ton of money.

3) Newton has the much higher ceiling.


I guarantee you. Newton will start from day one and will be given a dumbed down offense to work with and utilize his abilities.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Clausen faces overwhelming odds, for numerous reasons:

1) Even when acknowledging the Panthers as the terrible team they were last year, Jimmy Clausen was garbage. He completed 52.2% of his passes for a measly 3 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. Check out this video of every Clausen pass vs. the Saints...

Jimmy CLAUSEN vs New Orleans Saints 2010 Week 9 - YouTube

He didn't want to throw downfield. At all.

2) Cam Newton was the first overall pick and is being paid a ton of money.

3) Newton has the much higher ceiling.


I guarantee you. Newton will start from day one and will be given a dumbed down offense to work with and utilize his abilities.

I'm not opposed to the theory that maybe Clausen just can't cut it, but that video didn't convince me. I saw some rookie mistakes, but I also saw an absurdly porous OL, a couple passes that bounced off his receivers' hands, and a couple impressive throws.

The odds of a 1st year rookie QB not sucking behind such a terrible OL are astronomically bad. You can see it in Jimmy's eyes; he (justifiably) had zero faith that his OL would give him more than 2s before getting sacked. Without faith in his OL, there's very little chance for him to develop confidence, get into a rhythm with his receivers, etc.

The odds of success for any QB in the NFL are bad, and Jimmy was thrown into the worst conceivable situation. How you can point to that video and claim "He's had his chance" is beyond me.

 

[Buster Bluth]

Agreed.

I think what Clausen needs to do is show maturity. He will eventually get a shot outside of Carolina, but he doesn't want to turn other interested GM's off because he might complain about his situation.

I think Clausen is smart and accurate. He has the most important tools that are needed, he just needs some luck to get into a right system.

 

[phgreek]

Agreed.

I think what Clausen needs to do is show maturity. He will eventually get a shot outside of Carolina, but he doesn't want to turn other interested GM's off because he might complain about his situation.

I think Clausen is smart and accurate. He has the most important tools that are needed, he just needs some luck to get into a right system.

Agree...

Maybe I was too young to understand what I was seeing, but I have recollections that go back to Joe Mon. I can't think of a guy that was more accurate than Jimmy. I'm not sure how that DOESN'T translate to the next level...kid didn't get worse, what he got was the same thing he got as a freshman at ND...hit too much.

He'll be fine...I still think Quinn will be fine if he keeps working. Its ok to be the backup for a few years...chances are if they hang on somewhere, they'll get another shot to start.

 

[IHateMarkMay]

Derek Anderson... Yes I said it. He will start. The same offensive coordinator he had in Cleveland when he lit it up is now in Carolina. I think they want to hold Newton for a year. That is what I have heard from panthers fans at least.

 

[BeauBenken]

I'm not opposed to the theory that maybe Clausen just can't cut it, but that video didn't convince me. I saw some rookie mistakes, but I also saw an absurdly porous OL, a couple passes that bounced off his receivers' hands, and a couple impressive throws.

I'm completely with Whiskey on this one. I was going to make a retort, but Whiskey did a good enough job here.

Not to mention that New Orleans had the 4th best defense in terms of YPG and Passing YPG at the end of last season.

 

[DomerInHappyValley]

Even if Newton does start by week 6 Jimmy will be the most loved QB in the league.
Cam's in for a rude awakening.

 

[mick2]

i just hope he plays well enough to win a chance somewhere else.

team obviously showed it has no loyalty to clausen when they drafted newton.

you pick a guy 1 overall hes gotta be given the chance.

there is a chance jimmy starts the season. but its getting slimmer and slimmer unfortunately.

i think he can be a good qb and so could quinn if they had a decent shot. with a good coach.

going to the game friday to see jimmy hope he does well.

 

[NYIrish14]

I think they should start Clausen and give him a chance to improve. If he is not improving then you can throw Newton in. I feel like Cam needs more time learning the system and getting used to playing in the pocket. In his debut you could see that he still needed to improve his footwork. There were a couple throws that he attempted while throwing off his back foot, which is a problem he had at Auburn as well.

 

[IrishandColts]

Cam looked better than Clausen first game. lets see what happens in game two

 

[phgreek]

Cam looked better than Clausen first game. lets see what happens in game two

...From what I saw, I'd have to agree...

but in Jimmy's defense...

Jimmy is a drop back guy. He doesn't have escapability, and he isn't as big as Newton. I give Newton the productivity advantage until there is some semblance of a line that can create a pocket, and maintain it. Once the pocket thing happens (or if) Jimmy is your guy.

 

[ohara831]

Derek Anderson... Yes I said it. He will start. The same offensive coordinator he had in Cleveland when he lit it up is now in Carolina. I think they want to hold Newton for a year. That is what I have heard from panthers fans at least.

Being down here in the Carolinas, 1 hour from Charlotte and only 10 minutes from the Panthers Training Camp, I'll put in my 2 cents. I can tell you that the fans really cheered hard for Jimmy. But aside from some bad decision making and some wildly inaccurate throws, according to the papers and media down here, his biggest problem was he did not endear himself to his teammates as a leader. Just wan't able to make it click with the guys for some reason. He is openly trying to do that this pre-season and has been pretty successful at it, but Cam Newton jumped in right away and started developing that leadership role with his teammates very quickly. Teammates say how Jimmy has been imroving, but they gush over what Newton can bring to the table. Ron Rivera is going to name his starter between the Miami game this Friday and next weeks game vs Cinci. All indications are it will be Cam. Derek Anderson is said to have been very agreeable with the notion that he is here as more of a mentor to Cam and Jimmy. I can see him coming in late in games which are already decided, but there has been no talk at all of him being the sterter on Day 1. I understand the thought that he is the Vet who can bring some stability to the team, but after a miserable last season, Big Cat Richardson is wanting to make the fans happy. And the fans seem to want to see Cam running the show.

 

[irishfan]

Cam is starting on Friday. This is going to Rivera's plan though and Jimmy will still see pretty good time with the 1st-string.

 

[irishtrain]

Any thoughts on this? As much as pundits will say Cam has been hurt by the lack of pre-season preparation due to the lockout, the time before the second season could have been crucial for a player like Clausen. I hope Jimmy gets another chance because the team he was playing on last season was absolutely hopeless, but I just can't see it happening with all the pressure to play the #1 pick.

I would gladly take him on the Bills for a mid/low-round pick, and have him sit behind Fitzpatrick for a year or two.

A bit of an aside, but isn't it a joke that quarterbacks are nowadays deemed awful after their rookie season on a terrible team? It's like you either pull a Sam Bradford or you are immediately a bum.

A few analysts say Bradford was really protected by the type of passes he was ask to throw. Short/safe/confidence building. I am not a pro fan anymore-dont even watch unless its the 'Stillers' but imo Clausen was thrown to the wolves last year. I still think this guy has what it takes to be a very good pro. Time will tell and he will have to be put with someone who wants him to succeed. Carolina has no investment and really I dont think they cared if he passed or failed as the coach and season where about to have the floor pulled out from them last year. He would do better somewhere else as they will use Newton no matter what.

 

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

Newton is the next Vince Young. Super bust.

 

[PigtownIrish]

Newton is the next Vince Young. Super bust.

He won't have even the one good season that Young had, when he won Offensive Rookie of the Year.

 

[Junkhead]

Newton is the next Vince Young. Super bust.

He'll be somewhere between Vince Young and Jamarcus Russell.

 

[BeauBenken]

Cam Newton could (with his athleticism) turn into a TE though.

 

[DomerInHappyValley]

Cam Newton could (with his athleticism) turn into a TE though.

Do you believe that Cam Newton would honestly accept being moved to TE.
I can't see it.

 

[ohara831]

I dont get all the Cam Newton bashing. Let's look at what he has done:
Played 1 year at Auburn, went Undefeated, won a National Championship and won the Heisman. He gets drafted #1 and has played 1/2 of 1 preseason game. And from this people are determining he is the next Vince Young and Jamarcus Russell?

I know he is in competition with a beloved former Irish QB. I know he is suspected with good reason for having taken a butt load of cash to play at Auburn. But that has nothing whatsoever to do with his play in the NFL. At every level he has played, he has played better than his doubters thought he would play. Maybe he will be a bust. And maybe he becomes the next Big Ben of the Steelers only faster and more mobile. Time will tell. But I think trying to label him a bust at this point is shortsighted.

 

[HereComeTheIrish]

Do you believe that Cam Newton would honestly accept being moved to TE.
I can't see it.

I'm sure his dad would be happy to negotiate it though... Just sayin'

 

[Irish2015]

Its ashame that Newton is starting this preseason game. Clausen's getting the short end of the stick just like Quinn did. Hopefully both can perform well in their preseason games to be picked up somewhere else.

 

[BeauBenken]

Do you believe that Cam Newton would honestly accept being moved to TE.
I can't see it.

We all know Cam doesn't want to play TE. That's why he left Florida. But the way I see it, what other option would he have if playing QB falls through.

 

[DomerInHappyValley]

We all know Cam doesn't want to play TE. That's why he left Florida. But the way I see it, what other option would he have if playing QB falls through.

I'd say RB would be the only option he would accept.
Just his actions have shown since he left Florida he want's to be the focal point of the team.