The good folks at the mothership released their latest NFL Mock Draft, and I don't know whether to laugh or shake my head.
12. Minnesota Vikings: Cam Newton, QB, Auburn. Quarterback is a need. Newton has immense potential. Leslie Frazier is an excellent coach that can handle challenging personalities, and offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave has done great work with young quarterbacks. This seems like an ideal fit if Newton lasts this long.
Well, certainly the Vikings would be an ideal fit for Cam Netwon, and Cam Newton would be an ideal fit for the Vikings.
There's only one slight problem.
There is absolutely, positively no chance that Cam Newton is going to make it to the twelfth pick in the draft. None. Zero. Zip. There's a better chance that I'm going to spend the rest of my evening plowing Scarlett Johansson like an untouched field than there is of eleven NFL teams passing on Cam Newton in this year's draft.It's kind of a shame, too. . .because if the Vikings were to take a quarterback in the first round, I'm kind of starting to hope they can finagle a way to take Newton when it's all said and done. Quite frankly, the more I've seen of him and the other prospects in this year's draft, I don't think there's anybody at any position that has the potential that Cam Newton does. Physically, the guy is a freak, nobody can deny that. Is he probably a touch arrogant? Oh yes, he most certainly is that. . .and, to be honest, I don't have a problem with that. I would actually prefer a quarterback with an arrogant streak. . .I want a quarterback that goes out there thinking that he can't lose and that he's going to lead a team to victory.
Is Newton a potentially risky pick? I guess. . .I mean, all draft picks are risky, but Newton just seems different in that regard. It's not that he doesn't have talent, like I said. . .he's got more talent than he knows what to do with. But while I was watching the Combine this weekend, the people on the NFL Network talked about guys having a talent "ceiling" or a talent "floor" in terms of where they would likely end up as an NFL player. I think Newton has the highest ceiling of any of the quarterbacks available in this year's draft, and I'm not entirely sure what his "floor" is.
But here's the thing. . .Newton has a ceiling and a floor like the rest of the talent in this draft, but I'm not sure if Newton has any "floors" in between. I'm getting the sort of vibe from Cam Newton that we're not going to be referring to him as a "serviceable" quarterback or a "journeyman" quarterback after a few years in the league. I think that, in a few years, Newton is either going to be a spectacular NFL player. . .or he's going to be a complete train wreck.
As a blog writer, heck, I'm entertained either way. As a Viking fan, I think that Newton is talented enough to take that risk with. If he's great, then good for us. If he's terrible, the team would likely know sooner rather than later so that they could roll the dice with the next quarterback of the future.
What do you folks think? Do you think Cam Newton gets to Minnesota's pick, or do you think they trade up for him? If the opportunity is there, do you think he's worth the risk?