![]() ![]() “It was all hands on deck,’’ Beane recalled. They did the same regarding allegations that a six-figure payment was sought to secure Newton to play for Mississippi State. They dug deep into Newton being arrested in 2008 on charges of stealing another student’s laptop at Florida. And so it was having to chase down all the ghosts out there.’’ĭarlington and the organization talked to Newton’s coaches, teammates and friends at the colleges he attended: Florida, Blinn Junior College and Auburn. “There was salacious and hurtful information about the guy. And then other guys that, for whatever reason, weren’t on board and didn’t like him as an individual. “You had guys on the side of the fence that loved everything about him. “I don’t think I evaluated somebody my entire career who was more polarizing,’’ Darlington said. ![]() Later that day, Rivera called Darlington to his office and gave him his assignment. Darlington responded, “'Absolutely,' and he just shook his head and said, ‘Yeah,’ and left.’’ “After all the grumbling and silence, I just stuck my head up and said, ‘I can’t say I wouldn’t.'"Īfter the meeting, Hurney approached Darlington and asked if he meant what he said. “The room was basically silent,’’ Darlington said. Near the end of the meeting, general manager Marty Hurney pointed at the magnet on the big board used to prioritize players and asked if anybody would consider taking Newton No. “There weren’t very many people in the room that wanted Cam from the very beginning, which is how I got the assignment from the jump.’’ It was almost like a sequestered jury,’’ he said. “People were passionate with their yeses and their nos. “But I’d be hard-pressed to believe that it ever would extend to the level of intensity that came along with evaluating Cam.’’ĭarlington hemmed and hawed, thinking of the best way to describe the room for one of the first draft meetings. “The quarterback is a position that almost feels presidential or some level of royalty,’’ said former Carolina scout Khari Darlington, whose job from mid-January 2011 through the April draft was to shadow Newton. That’s why teams searching for a franchise quarterback are spending countless hours vetting Willis, Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett, Ole Miss’ Matt Corral and others. ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr., who had Newton ranked 12th on his big board 11 years ago, doesn’t have a quarterback in this year’s class ranked higher than Liberty’s Malik Willis at No. This year’s quarterback class, much like the 2011 class, isn’t considered particularly strong. When you’re going to take a quarterback, there’s a lot more at stake.’’ “No doubt,’’ said Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane, Carolina’s director of football operations in 2011. Organizations want to make sure the player is as good of a person as he is a player, because he likely will become the face of the franchise. The vetting process is intense for all positions, but none like quarterback. In 2015, Newton was the league MVP and led Carolina to Super Bowl 50. “I mean, I was really pissed off because I felt like this guy was going to get us to the Super Bowl.’’ Tell me what he does best.' That’s what I f-ing wanted to know. “I said, ‘Let me f-ing tell you something. “As we were going back and forth, and I kept listening to all this bashing, I got pissed off,’’ recalled Rivera, now the coach of the Washington Commanders. There were those who questioned whether Newton’s unique style as a dual-threat quarterback could lead to success. It was, as one person described it, “very volatile.’’ĭespite months of homework, private workouts, meetings only a select few knew about and a scout dedicated to talking to Newton almost daily, there were those who questioned whether the 2010 Heisman Trophy winner was the right fit and had questions about his decision making on and off the field. Tension was palpable as first-year head coach Ron Rivera and his staff debated whether Auburn quarterback Cam Newton checked all of the boxes to be the first overall pick. The 2011 NFL draft was less than 48 hours away, and the Carolina Panthers were huddled in a room at Bank of America Stadium. You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browserĬarolina Panthers' vetting of Cam Newton: An inside look at how NFL teams evaluate QBsĬHARLOTTE, N.C. ![]()
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