Cam Newton: Competition with Jimmy Clausen Could Be over Quickly

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Newton-Clausen Battle Stacked In Newton's Favor

Jimmy Clausen never stood a chance. Between a questionable attitude, poor coaching and an offense that was terrible, Clausen had the deck stacked against him in 2010.

Now that the Carolina Panthers have drafted Cam Newton, it says two things. The new coaches do not have confidence Clausen can mature into the franchise quarterback and they believe they can coach Newton up quickly.

For all the talent Clausen has, he never won a lot and his attitude always has been characterized as terrible. Clausen was in a very simplistic offense in 2010 and still could not seem to keep up with the speed of the game or make good decisions.

While blame for his poor performance can be spread around, Clausen's poor numbers do not help his standing.

Enter Newton and his natural athletic talent and charisma.

From ESPN.com:

Clausen clashed with volatile receiver Steve Smith. Media and teammates described Clausen as self-centered, aloof and not the kind of guy who commands respect in a locker room or a huddle. The Panthers swear they haven’t given up on Clausen and still think he can turn into a decent NFL quarterback.

But they were saying that after they had drafted Newton, and logic says you don’t go out and use an early pick on a quarterback if you think you have one on your roster.

There are a lot of stories featuring quarterbacks who have all the talent in the world but just fail to make the transition to the pros. Sometimes it is the coaches, or lack thereof.

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With Clausen, he always seemed to find ways to make the wrong decision on the field, and former Head Coach John Fox certainly had no confidence in him.

That tells you a lot, plus the fact no one on the team is sticking up for Clausen at the moment.

Clausen still could redeem himself and become a dominant force in the NFL, but it also looks like he will be doing that in another city.

Unless Newton completely flops, which is possible, Clausen will be shipped out of town by the beginning of the 2012 season.

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