Quote:
Originally Posted by 30gut
Here's a question I asked Dbag earlier in the thread:
Do you think Cam would have been as productive in a traditional pro-style offense?
I should have lettered or numbered the options but I think you're leaning more towards option A because option C involves a shift in the playcalling tendency towards more running or a return towards balance.
Option A is basically status quo.
An overlooked question from the OP: Do you think Griffin they'll feature Griffin specific RZ packages?
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I don't think basic passing principles really play to the strengths of Cam Newton. He didn't play well in the 2010 BCS National Championship game against a defense that had the speed to challenge him, didn't play well in the NFL Preseason, looked lost in the Pro Bowl.
But in the context of what Carolina was doing with him, he showed off critical downfield accuracy and pocket awareness you wouldn't have known he had watching college tape.
Cam Newton is a pretty huge conundrum. I think if you took him out of the Carolina offense and made him play in Jacksonville, he would be a huge projection at this point. I think if Carolina took the Jags approach to making it "easy" for Cam Newton, Newton would look lost and even when he completed passes the Jags wouldn't really be using their passing game productively. But with Carolina, every passing play has a chance to go for 20+ yards, and Newton basically was out there showing defenses that the only guy who can stop Cam is Cam.
To answer your question, I think Cam could have been just as productive at the start of the 2011 season playing in traditional pro-style sets and plays, so long as the focus of the attack remained downfield at the safety level. You can challenge a defense out of base personnel, obviously. But I think defenses would have caught up to him in the second half like they did with Dalton, because I think every challenge that can be raised by a pro style scheme has been answered at some point in history by a pro defensive coordinator.
I don't doubt that spread plays will eventually be answered by defensive guys, and that Cam will have some tougher days in his future, but I think the Panthers successfully put off to tomorrow that learning experience by not giving opponents a book to go to in order to shut down Weapon 'Cam."