Cam Newton: 6 Reasons To Believe the QB Is Carolina Panthers' Long-Term Answer

Picking a quarterback as the first overall pick in an NFL draft is a mixed bag. It's been well documented.

There have been success stories like Peyton Manning and tragic crash-and-burn stories like JaMarcus Russell.

Obviously, a main issue with taking anyone, let alone a quarterback first overall is that he has an enormous spotlight (and, frankly, a bull's-eye) on him from day one.

Whoever the draft pick is, he has to become acclimated not necessarily with how he handles success, but how he handles shortcoming, at least initially.

If history has taught us anything, it's that talented rookies can rarely turnaround an entire team, which was so bad that it qualified to draft them in the first place (i.e. they were the worst team in the league the previous season).

The best players are able to negotiate these early tough times without losing their heads. Terry Bradshaw and Troy Aikman are two very good examples of players who came into the league and had to deal with adversity before eventually seizing their place among the game's elite.

Cam Newton, the first pick of the 2011 NFL draft, will no doubt be presented with his fair share of problems. He enters a Carolina Panthers organization that won a grand total of two games last year.

No one can say whether or not Newton will sink or swim. But I think there's a chance he could turn out all right. Let's have a look at some reasons why.

No. 6: His SEC Pedigree

Newton honed his skills last year in the toughest college football conference there is: the SEC.

He played against defenses that were fast and skilled, something that he'll encounter on a massive scale in the NFL.

There is no adequate way to completely prepare for the pace of the NFL in the college game, but the SEC probably gets a quarterback the closest to the quickness he will endure at the next level.

No. 5: Jimmy Clausen Could Be the Scapegoat

Panthers fans (and possibly their management) could start to envision Jimmy Clausen as the sacrificial lamb who starts the season, but is eventually replaced by Newton.

This is obviously beneficial to Newton because he'll arrive as a starter no earlier than midseason (at least that's the theory, anyway). So he'll most likely come into a situation where the team is already struggling and expectations will be diminished.

The loud chorus of boos that follows a losing streak will fall on Clausen, the incumbent, rather than Newton. The Auburn rookie could exploit this by utilizing the time of reduced expectations to get his feet under him.

No. 4: Carolina's Running Game

The Panthers may not have been able to show it off much last year, but they still have a very solid rushing attack.

With Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams (possibly), they have two quality ball carriers. (Williams could leave in free agency, but either way Jonathan Stewart is a capable running back).

If the running game can be leaned on a proper amount, Newton can learn the offense without being made its focal point right away.

Many great quarterbacks, like Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger, mastered the quarterback position because the onus wasn't always on them early in their careers.

No. 3: Mobile Quarterbacks Are the Future

People can look at this argument cynically, saying that this concept has been said for decades. 

Yet it's undeniable that at every level, football formations have been spread out and played faster in the last 20 years.

Spread offenses, Wildcat formations and perpetually using men in motion are just a few of the innovations.

All of these new wrinkles are best utilized by a player who can run and pass, and Newton can certainly do that.

I'm not saying he's destined to be a "gimmick" player, who can only succeed in an offense where he runs the Wildcat, but no one can doubt he'd be good in those situations.

That ability to be versatile makes him valuable. And it means that he'll be able to possibly succeed in a number of ways.

No. 2: The Panthers Are Not That Bad

True, the team Newton is going to play for went 2-14 last season.

Yet, so many of their problems were derived from poor play at the quarterback position. The defense has talent, even after the loss of Julius Peppers to free agency after the 2009 season.

And the offense, as was mentioned before, still has weapons in the backfield. If they can keep receiver Steve Smith, than that's one more tool for Newton to use.

Their roster certainly isn't going to fool anyone into thinking they're the '79 Steelers anytime soon, but they're a more talented team than most people think.

No. 1: Cam Newton's a Winner

People knock him for only truly playing one full season of prime-time college football, but I actually see that as an impressive aspect of Newton's resume.

He played one year, and won every game he played, carrying his team in several situations during the year.

And in 2009, he carried Blinn College to a junior national championship.

So while the sample we have to go on isn't very large, in that short span of time, all he did was win.

I worry about quarterbacks who come into the league with a lot of purely physical tools and natural ability, but no track record of success. Newton has all of the tools, but we also know he isn't scared of the moment.

He knows how to act in clutch time. He knows how to lead. And, in the end, he knows how to win. Isn't that what you want in a quarterback?