2011 NFL Draft: Dan Reeves: Cam Newton, Not Blaine Gabbert, Should Be #1

Not buying into the incredible hype machine that's driving Missouri QB Blaine Gabbert's assent, former Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons Head Coach, Dan Reeves, thinks the Carolina Panthers should draft Cam Newton (in photo by Getty Images and CBS), making him the fist pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Reeves, who's place in the NFL's history is the stuff of legend, going all the way back to the 1967 Ice Bowl, told the Charlotte Observer "If I'm them, I'm taking Cam Newton. I think that guy is going to be a great player.

Reeves compares Newton to Michael Vick, but with a better arm. The coach says that Newton's spread offense experience isn't an issue for him because "I can teach a guy to get up under center," Reeves said. "But I can't teach a guy to throw. He has a tremendous arm, and I think he's going to be really effective no matter what he was doing in college. I mean, how many times do you see Peyton Manning or Tom Brady in the shotgun? A lot."

Coach Reeves reminds us all that, when all of the NFL Draft talk is said and done, coaches still have to coach. A number of NFL Draft observers, including one publication that got into a disagreement with this blogger on Twitter, claim that Gabbert has a "higher ceiling" than Newton, but can't explain their views when pressed.

Reading Reeves comments, it's the other way around and because of Newton's legendary mobility and strength. Coach Reeves said that South Carolina players "looked like gnats" trying to bring Cam down last year.

Why Do The Panthers Need A Quarterback?

All of this talk about the Carolina Panthers needing to draft a quarterback number one is illogical.  The best signal callers don't have to be drafted so high.  Joe Montana was the 49ers 3rd Round pick.  Tom Brady was the Patriots 6th round pick.  And if you look at it, a number of high pick quarterbacks haven't worked out well, from Matt Leinart to Alex Smith, and Jamarcus Russell, who was number 1 in 2007.

Plus, with the NFL's need to get rookie salaries under control, why keep feeding the gravy train by picking a quarterback number one?  In our talk about this at the 2006 NFL Draft, Sports Illustrated's Paul Zimmerman said that the pay scale starts with the number one pick and goes down.  Thus, if a defender is picked number one, that person's not likely to get a $50 million bonus; a quarterback, like Sam Bradford, will.    Here's Zimmerman:



In this NFL Draft we started with defenders ranking much higher than offensive players. Now, it seems the boards are being reversed, and for reasons that just aren't logical. If the best athletes are defenders, take the defenders first.

Stay tuned.