Many QBs are threatened when their teams draft new QBs, but not Cam Newton
Joe Flacco didn’t return Lamar Jackson’s texts. Ben Roethlisberger openly questioned the Pittsburgh Steelers taking Mason Rudolph. We all know how chilly it got in Green Bay when the Packers took Aaron Rodgers while Brett Favre was there.
Quarterbacks typically get a little antsy when teams draft another quarterback. It’s understandable. Nobody wants to feel like their job might be taken from them.
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The Carolina Panthers drafted West Virginia quarterback Will Grier in the third round. That’s not a first-round pick, but it was the 100th overall pick and that’s still quite valuable.
If you expected Cam Newton to be upset that the Panthers used a premium pick on a quarterback, you might be surprised.
Cam Newton ‘excited’ the Panthers drafted a QB
Plenty has been said about Newton through the years, but you have to respect the professional attitude he has about the Grier pick.
“You would think I’d feel intimidated, and that’s not the case here,” Newton said in a clip posted by Josh Sims of Fox 46 in Charlotte.
Newton said he had actually seen Grier play in high school, since he’s from Davidson, N.C. Instead of feeling threatened, he was happy the Panthers added a talented player.
“I’m just excited,” Newton said. “For him to come on the team, I know he possesses a rare talent and I’m excited. For me, it’s my job to put myself and this team in the best situation and get everyone ready. Whether that’s Will, whether that’s Terry [Godwin], whether that’s Elijah [Hood], or if that’s Christian McCaffrey. Doesn’t matter. I want to make sure I’m my best teammate, I’m my best self, for everyone.”
That’s exactly what you’d want one of your team leaders and captains to say.
Newton welcomes Will Grier
It’s fair to wonder if Newton would have the same reaction if, say, the Panthers drafted a quarterback in the first round. Quarterbacks picked in the third round might never play a key role (that’s why those picks are typically wastes). If a team takes a quarterback in the first, he’s playing, and soon. Grier isn’t coming to Charlotte to compete for Newton’s job, and everyone knows that.
Newton, who turns 30 on May 11, still has many years left before he’s truly worried about anyone taking his job. But he is coming off shoulder surgery this offseason, has taken a lot of punishment and the Panthers wanted a talented backup just in case. The pick made some sense.
And it seems there won’t be any issues in the Panthers’ quarterback room, thanks to Newton’s approach to his new teammate.
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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab
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