Cam Newton: Is Panthers' Rookie QB Best Franchise Builder in the NFL?

Carolina Panthers rookie quarterback Cam Newton has exceeded expectations in his first four games as a professional quarterback. The Auburn product is averaging nearly 350 yards per game and has thrown at least one touchdown pass in every start.

His fast start raises the question: if you were building an NFL team from scratch, would you consider taking Newton as your cornerstone player?

The NFL has become a pass-first league over the past decade, and it's a struggle to win on a consistent basis if you don't have an elite gunslinger leading your offense. Even though the jury is still out on Newton, he appears well on his way to joining that select class of QBs.

Let's take a look at some of the pros and cons of making Newton the face of your franchise.

Pro: He's Young and Cheap

Thanks to the NFL's new collective bargaining agreement, the rookie wage scale was significantly reduced before this season's draft, which led Newton to get just $22 million over four seasons. By comparison, Sam Bradford received $78 million over six seasons in 2010.

When you're paying your starting quarterback less than $6 million per season, there is a lot of cap space left to build a good team around him. Newton hasn't reached the point of a Peyton Manning or Tom Brady where he can win games by himself, so he'll need that support.

And since he's just 22 years old, you will be looking forward to at least 15 more seasons of what you hope will be elite QB play. With Manning or Brady, you are probably looking at five more seasons before you would have to start fresh at the position.

Con: Too Early to Tell If He's Elite

If you are going to spend your hypothetical first-round pick on a player, you want them to be a proven commodity. While there is no doubting that the start of Newton's career has been impressive, it's still just four games in a career of more than 250 (if he's good).

What the Panthers are doing with Newton is smart. They are basically telling to him throw the ball upwards of 30 times per game and letting him learn on the fly. A baptism by fire so to speak. So by the end of the season we'll have a pretty good read on Newton's capabilities.

To make Newton your main man, you need to have confidence that he'll be able to go up against guys like Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees and beat them on a consistent basis. It's too early to tell if he's going to be able to do that.

Pro: He Has All the Physical Tools

If nothing else, Newton has the look of an NFL quarterback. The 6'5'', 248-pound physical specimen has the type of body that will be able to withstand the hits he sustains while outside of the pocket, unlike Michael Vick.

He's already proven that he can beat you with his arm or his legs, and he will continue to become a bigger threat as the game slows down for him. His decision-making, as with any young quarterback, is still developing, which is a scary thought considering his early success.

He'll probably never lead the league in quarterback rating, but his dual-threat abilities will make him extremely valuable nevertheless. If you have 4th-and-goal from the 1-yard line, there isn't another quarterback you'd rather have under center than Newton.

Con: Sketchy Past

The most discussed part of Newton leading up to the NFL draft wasn't his on-field performance but rather his off-field issues. For a player to become the face of your franchise, you would like him to have a squeaky clean, brand-building image.

That's not the case for Newton. While at Florida, he was arrested for stealing a laptop that he later tried to hide from police during a search of his dorm room (via Orlando Sentinel). He was suspended from the team and, after a stop at Blinn Junior College, he ended up at Auburn.

During his one season with the Tigers, Newton's father Cecil was accused of shopping his son around to prospective major college teams (via Mercury News) in return for a cash payment. Cam was cleared of any wrongdoing and was allowed to continue playing, however.

Pro: He Knows How to Win Big Games

Newton led Auburn to the BCS National Championship in his only season with the Tigers. The team went 14-0 and beat six ranked teams along the way, including a 22-19 triumph over the Oregon Ducks in the title game.

It's nice to have a quarterback with that big-game pedigree who has gone through those high-pressure experiences so that he knows what to expect should they arise at the pro level. It doesn't automatically guarantee he'll play better, but it certainly increases the odds.

Another good sign from Newton's first month in the NFL has been his play on the road. His best two performances have come in hostile territory, with a total of six touchdowns in those games. Again, it doesn't prove anything (yet), but it's nice to see.

Con: There Are Better Quarterbacks

If you sat down are ranked all 32 starting quarterbacks (including Peyton Manning) as they stand right now, Newton probably would land somewhere near the middle of your list. He's still a rookie, so there is a ton of time for improvement, but right now he's not in the upper echelon.

So using your franchise's first pick on him would be based off the hope he reaches his full potential and becomes a true game-changing quarterback. Even though all the early signs say that is certainly possible, it's far from a guarantee.

Would you rather have an established signal-caller like Philip Rivers or Ben Roethlisberger, or do you want to take a chance on a possible superstar like Newton? While the latter's upside is obvious, most general managers would probably play it safe.

Conclusion

Question revisited: If you were building an NFL team from scratch, would you consider taking Newton as your cornerstone player?

After going through all the different positives and negatives of the scenario, my answer would be no. Newton has a lot of talent and might become one of the league's marquee players one day, but I'm not risking my franchise based on what could be if everything falls right.

My choice right now to start a franchise would be Aaron Rodgers. I still rate (a healthy) Peyton Manning and Tom Brady slightly ahead of the Green Bay Packers quarterback if I needed to win one game, but Rodgers continues to make up ground on the two stalwarts.

As for Newton, judging by his lockout work ethic and performance in the early going, there's a good chance Newton will be in the middle of a reclamation project in Carolina. And maybe, five years from now, the answer to the question will be yes, but it's just too early to go all-in on him.

Answer: No, give me Rodgers.