Cam Newton Is Not the Example Johnny Manziel Should Follow in the NFL

If I were to ask you which quarterback, Cam Newton or Johnny Manziel, the following predraft evaluation belonged to, it may take a moment or two to recall which one was actually blasted in such a manner. 

“Very disingenuous—has a fake smile, comes off as very scripted and has a selfish, me-first makeup,” Nolan Nawrocki of NFL.com wrote, via USA TODAY Sports. 

It's very clear: Newton and Manziel have always been divisive figures. Both illicit emotional responses regarding their play on the field and their attitude off it. 

However, that's where the comparisons should stop. 

No dual-threat quarterback is the same. 

As the Carolina Panthers prepare to host the Cleveland Browns this weekend, the inevitable comparisons between Newton and Manziel will be made. 

But those comparisons would miss the mark. 

On the surface level, there are some passing similarities. The two are former Heisman Trophy winners. Both ran roughshod through the toughest conference in college football. Each found ways in college to be a dynamic presence while running or throwing the football. 

Player	Year	Comp. %	Passing yards	Passing TDs	Rushing Yards	Rushing TDs
Newton	2010	66.1	2,854	30	1,473	20
Manziel	2012	68.0	3,706	26	1,410	21

The two quarterbacks also faced immense scrutiny off the field due to their dealings with the NCAA and their flamboyant personalities. 

Due to these shared experiences, Manziel told Charlotte Observer's Jonathan Jones that he reached out to Newton during the offseason to help him prepare for the life in the NFL: 

"

Being another Heisman Trophy winner, I got a chance to reach out to him probably in the spring, summer, sometime in there. We had probably a two-hour conversation to talk about everything, about the people he has around him and what has made him so successful. I’m very eager to listen to him. He’s a fun-loving, fun-natured guy, and I’m really thankful to be able to pick up the phone and call him if I ever need anything.

"

It's wise of the man known as Johnny Football to solicit advice for help with the transition from the collegiate ranks to the professional ranks after already being dubbed a superstar. Newton can't provide what Manziel really needs, though. 

Manziel needs to understand what it means to be successful in the NFL and prepare like a quarterback should. The smallish signal-caller also needs to understand how his skills can translate to the NFL. 

Newton isn't the best example on either front. Carolina's quarterback never truly struggled when he entered the league, nor did he overcome some of the issues Manziel will face. 

Newton entered the NFL in 2011 after being the No. 1 overall pick, and he took the league by storm. He threw for 4,051 yards, ran for 706 more and scored 35 total touchdowns. NFL defenses didn't know how to defend the massive quarterback. 

The incendiary rookie simply can't relate to how Newton approaches games. 

It starts with the size differential.

Newton is listed at 6'5" and 245 pounds. Browns outside linebacker Paul Kruger told ClevelandBrowns.com's Andrew Gribble that he's basically a defensive end playing quarterback. Manziel falls on the other side of the spectrum at 5'11" and 207 pounds.

This size discrepancy provides multiple advantages for Newton that Manziel can't duplicate. 

First, the Panthers are far more willing to let Newton run the football than the Browns will likely be with Manziel. Over the past four seasons, Newton has run the ball 449 times and counting. He actually ran the ball more times during his first three seasons than the 2009 Heisman Trophy winner, running back Mark Ingram.

Newton can take a beating...and he has. This year alone the Auburn product dealt with ankle and rib injuries before suffering two broken vertebrae due to an automobile accident last week.

If Manziel takes the same type of hits as Newton does on a consistent basis, he won't survive. His career would then follow the path of the Redskins' Robert Griffin III, who has never been the same after he injured his knee against the Baltimore Ravens while scrambling during his rookie campaign. 

Even Griffin is three inches taller and 15 pounds heavier than Manziel, and he's had trouble staying healthy.
  
Newton's added size also grants him better field vision. Shorter quarterbacks require passing lanes. Pressure, particularly up the middle, can be a major hindrance for a signal-caller who can't see over his blockers. 

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Finally, the Panthers quarterback has a howitzer attached to his right shoulder. Newton's arm is easily one of the NFL's strongest. It allows him to complete passes even when he's being hit, scrambling or using poor technique.

One thing Newton and Manziel share is poor throwing mechanics. Both developed bad habits in college, and they're difficult to overcome once they're ingrained into a player's muscle memory. Even in his fourth year as a professional, Newton still displays very poor throwing technique. But the Carolina quarterback can get away with it due to immense arm strength.

Manziel can't.

The Browns quarterback threw two costly interceptions during Cleveland's 30-0 loss Sunday to the Cincinnati Bengals, because Manziel didn't set his feet before attempting the pass. The rookie's arm strength shouldn't be considered below average; it simply isn't on the same level as Newton's. 

While Newton can pull himself out of the fire with a flick of his wrist, Manziel is far more likely to throw wounded ducks. 

Manziel told reporters during a conference call Wednesday, per the Charlotte Observer, that he can't continue to make those same types of mistakes: 

"

I need to be more confident in trusting my eyes and trusting what I’m seeing out there on the field. I thought I was a little hesitant on a couple of throws and it really did hurt me throughout the game.

I didn’t throw them the way I had thrown them consistently all week in practice, and that’s just getting back there and throwing the ball the way I do and putting some zip on it and getting it to the receivers and letting them do what they do.

"

These two quarterbacks may not even get to face each other this weekend.

Newton is still recovering from an injured back. After missing Sunday's contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the mobile quarterback is doing everything in his power to return to the field in an effort to keep his team's playoff hopes alive.

Panthers head coach Ron Rivera is still concerned about Newton's ability to properly protect himself, but he continued to increase the quarterback's practice load as the week progressed.

"We did more with him [Thursday] than we did with him [Wednesday]," Rivera told ESPN.com's David Newton. "We'll increase that tomorrow, then double-check him on Saturday morning."
 
If both quarterbacks start Sunday, the difference in their styles of play will quickly become evident.

Other than playing in spread offenses in college, winning some awards and being controversial, there is very little substance to perpetuate any type of comparison between these two quarterbacks.

The next time Manziel thinks about calling Newton for more advice, he should probably consider other options.

Brent Sobleski covers the NFC South for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter.