What If Carolina Drafted Him?

Recently I was in a debate with a Dallas Cowboys fan down here in South-East Texas, and we stumbled onto the topic of Quarterbacks.

Immediately he says he would rather have Tony Romo on his team than any other quarterback in the league. Of course I rebutted this and pointed out Romo’s failure to capitalize with a team that has immense talent. So as we dove further into the argument, I started to wonder what Quarterback would I love to have. Of course my first pick is Cam Newton, but I mean besides Cam. Check back after the break for more on my thoughts.

Immediately I thought of Tom Brady. Brady has managed to lead the league in passing without a #1 receiver. Sure he has Wes Welker, but Welker performs best in the slot. Deion Branch is good but he’s not a #1. So, that means Brady is the most valuable player on that squad. Imagine what Brady could do with the weapons Newton has. Steve Smith could break the single season receiving record, and Greg Olsen would look like a god. With Tom Brady at the helm of Carolina, I could see them making a run for the Super Bowl with an 11-5 season.

Next I thought about Andy Dalton. Dalton is another rookie success story this year, but in a different aspect. While Newton has put up outstanding numbers, Dalton looks to continue his success and possibly bring the Bengals to the playoffs. Though I don’t think Dalton would succeed in Carolina. He has the ability to win, but with other factors inhibiting the Panthers from winning with Newton. IF the Panthers were led by Dalton I see a 4-12 record, with limited success by Dalton.

Out of all the Quarterbacks in the league I could see Drew Brees having the most success. While Marques Colston may be a good receiver, most of NOLA’s receiving is decent at best, and they shine because of Brees. Carolina is in the same boat. Steve Smith is elite and they have a great TE in Shockey and Olsen, but no other receiver has truly stepped up. With Brees, the Panthers go 12-4 and win the Super Bowl.

Since this conversation was sparked by a Romo debate lets get to him. To say it nicely, Romo lacks the talent to be an elite QB in the NFL. He has the stats to be a great fantasy QB, but when it comes to winning he is lacking. The Cowboys’ offense is stacked with talent, and they are winning many games only to have Romo throw it away. Romo has the arm strength and the accuracy, but lacks the intangibles. He lacks the winning spirit that players like Newton, Tebow, Manning, and Brady have, and that makes it hard for Romo to win. So if you put Romo on the Panthers that are in a rebuilding phase, they go 2-14 again and Romo gets chased out of town.

A classmate of mine just told me to imagine how good the Panthers would be with Aaron Rodgers. Personally, I see a lot of Newton when I watch Rodgers play. That being said, Rodgers looks to be unstoppable this season with an offense that is geared to his strengths. If Rodgers stepped into a Panthers jersey you can bet that team will be unbeatable. I’d say Panthers go 15-1 after letting the starters rest before the playoffs, then they win the Super Bowl.

So, we can all wonder how the Panthers would be with a different QB, but honestly, I don’t want to have anyone other than Newton. We have turned the corner and the playoffs are still a long way away. I expect Newton to be the cornerstone of the new look of the Panthers, and he will lead this team to greatness.