Carolina Panthers

This is not a year to think about winning. This is a year to think about breeding a winning mentality in the minds of these young players, none more so than number one draft pick, Cam Newton.

Newton’s size, athleticism and record all scream steal, even with the No. 1 pick, but there are always worries with QBs of his ilk transferring well from college to the NFL. Some make it (like, say, Roethlisberger and Flacco), others don’t (JaMarcus Russell and, so it seems, Vince Young).

But Newton seems a better prospect. His attitude is a positive one and, strange as it may sound, there’s something in his eyes – a spark, a twinkle maybe – that gives me a lot of faith in this kid.

Now, Carolina does have a superb and reliable rushing attack AND they have Steve Smith. If the O line can do its job, they will be competitive and should win a few games. The defence needs bolstering in the draft next year and once they’ve got the personnel sorted on the smash-mouth side of the football, we could see yet another NFC South worst-to-first story.

Verdict: Newton will flourish if protected well, but a porous defence will ship more points than this young offense can generate right now. They’ll finish last in the NFC South, losing a lot of close ones in the process. A 4-12 record should be the absolute minimum for this somewhat more deserving team.



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