Washington Redskins: Passing on Cam Newton Should Be Draft Priority

The Washington Redskins had a season to forget, and enter the offseason with more questions then answers. This isn't out of the ordinary for the Redskins, who have a new brand of quarterback controversy and an outstanding player issue with Donovan McNabb and Albert Haynesworth respectively. Throw in the shoddy offensive and defensive lines, a questionable secondary and a lack of identity, and it is no wonder why there are so many different predictions for the 2011 NFL Draft.

Cam Newton is one of the biggest names in this year's talent pool by virtue of being the most visible, and the Redskins need to pass on drafting him.

Newton said it himself last week that he wants to be an icon and and entertainer. Now, he is hardly the first player to relate their sport to entertainment, but a little focus would do him some good. As trite as many of the canned responses that prospects are coached to give, there is absolutely nothing wrong with simple answers that highlight maturity and humility rather than brash cockiness.

Having to reassure scouts that football is his focus does not help his cause, despite the rave reviews about his physical skills, coachability and hunger to be the best.

For the Redskins, their myriad of needs make drafting Newton a virtual impossibility. Not that they shouldn't take a quarterback with the 10th overall pick, but Newton is the type of quarterback that should be in an offense that will build around his skills instead of being shoehorned into an existing offense that limits his ability to be the player he was for Auburn.

McNabb wasn't a good fit for the Shanahan offense, and showed that his success with Philadelphia was due in great part to the scheme tailored to his talents.

Newton has a year of Division I highlights to make his case for going in the top 10 in April's draft, but that is also the main reason he shouldn't be a top 10 pick. He doesn't have the experience at the elite level to warrant such a high pick. He made the proper decision in capitalizing on his value by forgoing his senior season, but how prepared is he for the NFL?

Coming out of a spread offense only hurts Newton more given the rough history of spread offense quarterbacks in the NFL.

Washington has a loose set of priorities for the draft. They've resigned themselves to drafting offensive linemen in the later rounds, which means the first and second round picks are even more critical. They need to hit with both picks or the draft will be a loss in many a fan's or expert's eye.

Drafting Newton is too much of a Dan Snyder pick to be the right one.

Mike Shanahan has a good track record with drafting quarterbacks, but would be better suited taking a shot at the other options at the position. Not that Newton isn't a rare talent, but he is almost too polarizing to pick. The other prospects aren't without their flaws, which brings to mind the idea that perhaps this isn't the year to draft a quarterback.

There are too many projects at quarterback, and the Redskins have a 3-4 defense to worry about filling out. It would be a mistake to draft Newton, simply because he's not the player to lead Washington into their new direction.