Category: Auburn in NFL

Paul Finebaum believes Carolina Panthers handled Cam ‘poorly’

The SEC Network host believes that Cam Newton was treated unfairly by the Carolina Panthers.

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When Paul Finebaum has an opinion, he’s going to let it be known whether people agree or disagree.

When discussing Cam Newton and his exit from the Carolina Panthers following nine seasons in which he led the NFC South team to a Super Bowl and broke many of the organization’s records, Finebaum said on air that the Panthers handled the entire situation badly.

“I thought they handled it poorly. I watch enough pro football to know that things usually end badly,” Finebaum said in a Q&A with the Charlotte Observer. “I’ve been critical of Cam. Like many. Like you. But why be so unceremonious about it? I mean, just, let’s be graceful. He’s one of the greatest players in the franchise’s history. Why treat him like an outcast? Which I think they did.

“…I thought they did the same thing with (Panthers tight end) Greg Olsen. I got to know (Olsen) fairly well over the years. …What’s the point? Why be crass about things like that when you can show a modicum of class?”

Newton, the 2015 NFL MVP, was a success from the first day he stepped on the playing field for the Panthers, putting past rookie records far down the dusty trail as he became a phenomenon, winning the 2011 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

After struggling through injuries last season, the Panthers, and new coach Matt Rhule, decided to go in a different direction with Teddy Bridgewater at quarterback.

Newton went unsigned for almost 100 days before being signed to a one-year contract by the New England Patriots, where he is set to battle with fellow Auburn former star Jarrett Stidham for the starting quarterback job.

“I think his health is the key,” Finebaum said. “I kind of wondered last year what he has left. I think the most amazing thing about Cam is that someone who virtually nobody in the NFL wanted has become the most talked-about athlete in the world for an entire week. …I think it shows that celebrity matters. And Cam is, in some ways, a bigger celebrity than he is a talent.”

WATCH: Cam Newton says he’s ready to roar in Instagram video (NSFW)

The Auburn legend calls out those who says he needs more humility.

Cam Newton has had it with his critics.

On Sunday, the newly signed New England Patriots quarterback posted a video on Instagram slamming those who say he needs more humility.

“I’m getting tired of all this humble (expletive),” Newton said. “Because, when you’re humble, they start taking advantage of you. When you don’t say nothing, they start taking advantage of you. The hyenas can be doing all of this, the elephants can be doing all of this, the giraffes, the antelopes, the chimpanzees, even the gorilla. But there’s one (expletive) animal in the jungle and when he roars, everything stops. And I’m about to (expletive) roar.”

Watch the entire video below: (NSFW)

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Vet shares story showing why Bill Belichick will love Cam Newton

Cam Newton and Bill Belichick may seem like a strange combination due to their different personalities but Marshall Newhouse, who played with both, shared a story about Newton’s stellar work ethic that shows just why the two could be successful.

Cam Newton and Bill Belichick may seem like a strange combination due to their different personalities but Marshall Newhouse, who played with both, shared a story about Newton’s stellar work ethic that shows just why the two could be successful.

This had to be important for Belichick, who will need Newton to try and learn the offense in a season like one we’ve never seen before and may only have the quarterback for a single season.

Newhouse spoke to Sirius XM NFL’s “Late Hits” program about Newton and the Patriots, saying:

“Some people who are just uncomfortable with a guy as strong in personality as Cam might see that as something that could cause friction, but people who are secure and understand what it takes to play in the NFL — both Bill Belichick and [offensive coordinator] Josh McDaniels as a staff and Cam Newton as a guy who has matured and competed and grown so much over the years — to those guys, none of this matters.”

“When I was in Carolina, I was new, getting traded in the middle of the season, and my mornings started early, cramming the playbook. Lo and behold, Cam was there, hours before me, walking on the treadmill, studying his playbook. Same in the afternoon, with Luke Kuechly, studying, getting extra film work. So the work part is not a question. You can call it flamboyance, but he’s just got a strong personality. He’s a leader.

“But when has Bill Belichick ever shied away from that? We just assume they don’t mesh with that kind of thing, but in reality, there are strong personalities all over the locker room. Everybody just knows their role. I think Cam will get there, and they’ll kind of help him define what his role is, and he’ll adapt to that. Them not being able to get along is just a fallacy, in my opinion.”

If Newton continues to put in this work ethic, it won’t be hard for him to win over the Patriots offense and make him the frontrunner to be their starting quarterback in 2020.