Cam Newton: Pro Scouting Report for Carolina Panthers' Rookie QB

When the Carolina Panthers decided to select Auburn quarterback Cam Newton with the No. 1 pick of the 2011 NFL Draft, everyone knew the risk the Panthers were taking.

After the first two weeks of the NFL season, all reports on Newton are positive. The young quarterback has the two most productive passing games as a rookie in NFL history. As far as yardage goes, Newton couldn't have been any better.

Newton's stats are impressive, but numbers never tell the whole story. With this in mind, here's an in depth analysis of Newton's play through the first two weeks of the young 2011 season.

Arm Strength

It shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone that Newton has displayed a cannon arm thus far. At Auburn, Newton's arm was praised as one of the strongest in the recent memory of the draft. Knowing this, it shouldn't surprise anyone that Newton has made some incredible throws with the Panthers.

Newton throws the ball with tremendous velocity and makes multiple "wow" throws a game. The rookie quarterback can not only throw the ball a mile, but also fires the ball with great initial velocity.

Few players have more ability on mid range throws, and Newton can gun the ball into the tightest of gaps. Arm strength isn't everything for a quarterback, but it does allow a little room for error when making risky throws.

Here Newton effortlessly throws an impressive deep ball down the far side of the field with very little loft on it. Yet the throw still gave the receiver enough time to further separate from the defensive back.

Accuracy

Newton's accuracy is either incredible or abysmal depending on the game and play. The Panther signal caller has the ability to throw laser passes with precision accuracy. On other throws, Newton will leave viewers puzzled about where he was attempting to throw the ball.  With Newton's rocket arm and occasionally deadly accuracy, he can be of the most talented passers in the NFL.  

In order to be come a more consistently accurate passer, Newton needs to improve upon his sloppy footwork. His feet and throwing motion simply vary too much from play to play for him to be a reliable passer.

This throw demonstrates both Newton's accuracy and arm strength. The throw is a missile thrown to the only possible location that would result in a completed pass. If Newton throws the ball the slightest bit to either side of Greg Olsen, the throw ends up as an incompletion.

Decision Making

Newton's decision making has been surprisingly solid thus far.

At Auburn, Newton played in a spread option offense that required very little mentally from the quarterback. However, Newton has made an extremely quick transition to the NFL game and does not seem at all overwhelmed.

Though Newton did throw three interceptions in Week 2, most of these were simply inaccurate throws. The intended targets were open, but Newton missed and the ball ended up in the hands of a defensive player. While this inconsistent accuracy is concerning, the lack of mental errors gives fans reason to be optimistic about Newton's development.

Mechanics

Newton actually has surprisingly good mechanics. For a player who relied so much on his athletic ability in college, Newton looks smooth throwing the ball and has a nice over the top motion.

Newton wastes no time reaching back to throw and has a quick release. Newton's over the top motion and height are ideal for avoiding deflections at the line of scrimmage.

The star quarterback still has a long way to go before being solid mechanically, but for a supposedly raw rookie, he is adequate.

Footwork

After playing his entire college career in a spread offense, Newton is still adjusting to an NFL scheme. Newton has looked more comfortable dropping back than was expected, but he still needs some work there.

Newton's biggest problem, however, is his tendency to throw off of his back foot. On multiple occasions in the first two weeks, Newton threw off of his back foot, causing a weak throw. Even Newton's rocket arm can only compensate for so much.

On this throw, Newton runs out of the pocket and attempts to throw the ball off his back foot while still on the move. This causes the throw to miss Newton's target with minimal velocity. Charles Woodson then makes the easy interception. Unlike many picks, this wasn't because of a bad decision, but simply sloppy footwork.

Mobility

Along with his arm strength, mobility may be Newton's biggest strength. Newton doesn't just have excellent speed, but also possesses fantastic running ability.

At Auburn, Newton ran for 1,473 yards and 20 touchdowns as a junior. The Heisman Trophy winner is a powerful runner with the elusiveness to evade even the most skilled defenders.

Vince Young received high praise for his running ability prior to the 2006 NFL Draft, and Newton is an even more skilled runner. In fact, Newton may be the most skilled running quarterback to enter the draft since Mike Vick in 2001.

Newton's rare combination of speed, size and passing ability makes him a legitimate candidate for a Spread Option offense in the NFL. Though this is extremely unlikely to take place, Newton has the rare skill-set to handle the beating of consistently running the ball while also producing as a passer.

The fact that Newton has 18 carries through two games does show that offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski does wish to utilize Newton's running ability.

Size

At 6'5", 250 pounds, Newton has fantastic size. Newton is more than big enough to handle a beating and his size is also helpful when running with the ball. While running, Newton's size gives him additional power and Newton simply cannot be brought down by arm tackles.

In the pocket, Newton is able to use his size and strength to shrug off potential sacks. In this sense, Newton is similar to Ben Roethlisberger, and the young quarterback does an excellent job in avoiding sacks.

Overall

Newton has displayed everything expected of him and more through the early part of the 2011 season. Newton was expected to show a cannon arm and excellent mobility, but he has also done some things that were not at all expected.

Newton has at times demonstrated superb accuracy and poise under pressure. Some of the young quarterback's throws have been simply jaw-dropping, and he is quickly turning into one of the NFL's most exciting players.

This is not to say that Newton has been perfect, however. His accuracy has been very inconsistent and has led to multiple interceptions. Newton's footwork has been extremely spotty, especially when faced with pressure. More than anything else, this sloppy footwork has led to Newton's spotty accuracy.

The No. 1 overall pick is still extremely raw as a passer. He needs to continue to improve in his progressions, and he isn't great at reading defenses.

Both of these are, however, expected from a rookie quarterback. On the whole, Newton has done nothing but exceed expectations and is on pace to shatter rookie passing records.

This is not to say that Newton won't have up his ups and downs; he will. But the fact of the matter is that the Panthers have one of the NFL's most exciting young players. Defenses will find a way to limit Newton as the season goes on, but don't expect him to fall on his face.

Newton may never be a polished passer, but like Vick for the beginning of his career, he has the talent to overcome some weaknesses.

Even if Newton does begin to struggle, look for him to continue to shock with his incredible passing and running ability. After just two games in the NFL, Cam Newton has already become one of the game's must-watch players.

Common sense would say that the young quarterback will only improve, but then again, Vince Young won Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2006.

Only time will tell if Newton goes the way of Vick towards stardom, or follows Young out of a starting job.

Based on his early performance this year, I doubt many people are betting on the latter.