Warren Moon Wants Newton To Start In Carolina

When you draft a "franchise" quarterback there usually is some pressure from fans to start the rookie right away, even if he might not be ready to handle the rigors of the NFL. I'm sure the Carolina Panthers felt that way, especially since their only quarterback with any kind of experience is Jimmy Clausen. They probably didn't need Hall of Famer and Cam Newton's mentor, Warren Moon, popping off about Newton being the starter in Carolina.

“Cam has a chance to start day one just because of where they are right now at the quarterback position,” Moon told Burns and Gambo of 620 KTAR in Phoenix. “No really strong incumbent starter there, and then the fact that they have a new coach, new scheme, might as well start with a new quarterback.”


I can see his point since Clausen is only a second year player with limited experience. But it is a new scheme that neither one of them knows very well due to the lockout, which puts both of them behind the eight ball. Also I wouldn't sell Clausen short. He could give Newton a run but I feel the Panthers will bow to the pressure and have Newton as the starter.

“There is a good chance that could happen,” Moon said. “I just don’t know what the organization’s thinking is right now. Do they want to throw him out there game one of the season or do they want to wait a few games into the season? That’s just a decision that they’re going to have to make, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he was the day one starter because he was drafted number one overall to be their guy for the future and why not make the future now?”


I know Moon probably knows what he's talking about and has more football knowledge in his big toe than I ever will. I just would like to see the Newton era last more than a few games. Put him in with the first teamers in the preseason and see how things shake out. If he beats Clausen with a superior perfromance, put him in. If the Panthers start Newton just because Moon and the fans think he should be the starter from day one, they'll be in for another long season.   

 

    

Warren Moon Now Cam Newton's Advisor

It seems when you retire from the sports world, if you play your cards right you can land any job you want. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate them for it, but it always seems that they can parlay any crack in the door into opportunity.

Warren Moon, the former Houston Oiler and Minnesota Viking quarterback is now an advisor to supertalented Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton. I don't know Warren personally, but he couldnt've picked a better guy to advise him. If you think Cam Newton went through a lot in his college days, that wasn't nothing compared to being a black quarterback when Moon was coming up. I'll give Newton credit he blocked a lot out to succeed and lead his team to a national championship.

Moon says that Newton must "confess to his off-field sins" during his college days at Florida and Auburn. He has been accused of theft and academic fraud at Florida, and his father allegedly shopped his services to multiple schools.


“That was when he was 18, but those are the things he’s going to have to face up to and hold up to,” Moon told The News Tribune of Tacoma, Wash. “He has the rare ability to block things out that are going on around him. He had all those things going on last year, but every Saturday he found a way to block that out and play at the highest level possible. Everybody wondered when the kid would crumble, but he never did. He’s a young kid who can deal with adversity."



“I see a kid who trains to be great; that’s what he’s all about, all he talks about, being great," Moon told The News Tribune. "His work ethic is so unbelievable that, if anything, you have to try to slow him down and keep him from doing too much. You see how much he wants to work at getting better, not just on the field, but in the classroom, studying film."

I do believe if Newton is as hard a worker as Moon says he is, he won't wear a bust label in the NFL. He's been getting some quality advice from Bill Cosby and now Moon. If he stays humble he won't be another JaMarcus Russell.