NFL Draft 2011: Latest Draft Buzz Surrounding Cam Newton and Blaine Gabbert

With the draft less than a week away, much of the buzz heading into the weekend is, per usual, surrounded by quarterback speculation. And no matter how much the experts try to predict where and when the second tier of quarterbacks will start to come off of the draft board, the outcome of the entire weekend will likely depend on just two players, Blaine Gabbert and Cam Newton.

While Cam Newton was the star of the entire college football season, capping it off with a BCS title and a Heisman Trophy, Gabbert saw his stock skyrocket after first declaring for the draft and then watching the consensus No. 1 draft prospect, Andrew Luck, decline.

The Panthers have been on the clock for some time now, and they need a QB more than ever after watching Jimmy Clausen anger and annoy fans for the entire season.

Most experts believe that Newton will eventually be the pick for the Panthers at No. 1, but both stud QBs could go to any number of teams looking to trade up for a signal-caller.

Here you'll find all the latest news and rumors surrounding the two top QB prospects leading up until Thursday night's primetime Round 1 coverage.  

Newton Offered $1 Million for Lie Detector Test

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GLENDALE, AZ - JANUARY 10: Quarterback Cameron Newton #2 of the Auburn Tigers celebrates the Tigers 22-19 victory against the Oregon Ducks in the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game at University of Phoenix Stadium on January 10, 2011 in Glendale, Ar

CamNewtonLieDetector.com has recently announced that they are willing to offer the Auburn product $1 million dollars in-exchange for a four-question lie detector test. 

The site doesn't accuse Newton of any wrongdoings, although it's clear that they intend to ask Cam about his more-than-questionable past, along with the allegations that were brought against his father last season, as you can see below.

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1. Prior to signing with Auburn, were you aware your father was “shopping” you to Mississippi State or any other school?
2. Did you tell Dan or Meghan Mullen that you signed with Auburn because of the money because you truly believed Auburn had paid for your commitment?
3. Did anyone on the Auburn coaching staff/athletic department instruct you how to answer questions from the NCAA by lying or avoiding the truth?
4. Did you or your family ever receive any impermissible benefits from Auburn?

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Top Quarterbacks Go Under the Microscope in "Gruden Camp"

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TEMPE, AZ - DECEMBER 28: Quarterback Blaine Gabbert #11 of the Missouri Tigers during the Insight Bowl against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Sun Devil Stadium on December 28, 2010 in Tempe, Arizona. The Hawkeyes defeated the Tigers 27-24. (Photo by Christian P

As a continuation from last year's critically-acclaimed series, the top quarterback prospects of the 2011 draft were put under the microscope this past week in Jon Gruden's QB Camp on ESPN. 

As most football fans know from watching Monday Night Football, Gruden loves to hear himself talk, especially about quarterbacks.

Nick Saban Blasts Auburn's Football Team

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GLENDALE, AZ - JANUARY 10: Head coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide looks on from the sideline during the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game at University of Phoenix Stadium on January 10, 2011 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Ronald Martin

Alabama head football coach Nick Saban made headlines last week when a Broncos executive broke news regarding a conversation he had with Saban at Alabama's pro day. 

During a phone interview with Elway, he said that Saban believed Auburn's football team wouldn't even have won four football games if it weren't for QB Cam Newton.

Saban may have blasted Auburn's football team, but it shows how terrific a quarterback that Newton truly is. You can see Elway's full comments below, and at USAToday.com.

One of the NFL people who picked Saban's brain last month at Alabama's Pro Day was John Elway, the new executive vice president of football operations for the Denver Broncos. According to Elway, after discussing players Saban coached, they talked about a player Saban opposed—Cam Newton.

Elway described the conversation with Saban during a Wednesday press conference about the draft: "We asked him about Cam, and he said that team would not have won four games if it wasn't for Cam Newton. That tells you how much of a special player he is."

Gabbert to the Bengals?

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NEW YORK - JUNE 16: NFL Hall of Famer Boomer Esiason attends the 7th annual Samsung Four Seasons of Hope gala on June 16, 2008 at Cipriani, Wall Street in New York City. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images)

Former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Boomer Esiason issued some strong words to his NFL alma mater this past week. Esiason joined Cris Collinsworth on a TXN Sports conference call this past week when he expressed his thoughts on the Bengals current quarterback situation. 

Esiason empathized considerably with Carson Palmer, who has been giving the Bengals headaches all offseason. The former University of Maryland product didn't let up there, issuing a strong warning to Missouri QB Blaine Gabbert. The warning? Be careful, the Bengals may draft you. 

You can read the full article at SportingNews.com, or the juicy tidbits below:

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"I have to completely sympathize with Blaine Gabbert if he does get drafted by the Bengals," Esiason said. "I do believe he would make a great fit there, but as Cris and I both know, he is going to have to be a better player than advertised in order to be successful there because of the lack of support."

 

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