Cam Newton: Entertainer, Icon, Future Bust

Cam Newton came out and said he saw himself as an "entertainer" and "icon" already. The guy hasn't thrown one NFL pass, and struggled mightily in his combine workout, yet he's already got big plans as an star NFL QB. If my team was looking at drafting him in the NFL Draft, I would hope and pray everyday that they don't. We see this type of QB come around plenty: big QB, big arm, and loves to run (see Daunte Culpepper etc.) I just don't see why teams keep buying into these QBs. Yes, Micahel Vick is able to thrive with this, although he isn't very big, but he has elite speed. Michael Vick is ridiculously fast, that's what sets him apart. Cam Newton isn't doing anything for me as a football player, and I'm not liking his mental side either so far. While yes he handled the controversy at Auburn pretty well, throw 35 million in guaranteed money and celebrity status he has/ will achieve, and we'll see how he does.

How My Team Did at the Draft: Seattle Seahawks Edition

Round 1, pick 4: Aaron Curry, OLB, Wake Forest

Before the draft started, I was just hoping the Seahawks wouldn't take Mark Sanchez and hoped they would take the safe pick of an OT assuming Curry was off the board. I absolutely did not expect Aaron Curry to fall in our laps like he did, but I'm so glad they didn't screw it up. Curry was considered by most to be the safest pick in the draft, and with good reason. The guy is an absolute beast who ate up the ACC for 4 years; not to mention the fact that he oozes class. He invited a cancer-stricken kid to come with him to the draft! How awesome is that!? Welcome to Seattle, Mr. Curry. Please enjoy your extended stay.

Round 2, pick 17: Max Unger, C, Oregon


I like this pick because Unger is so versatile. Our offensive line is getting more and more questionable, so we really need Unger to step in and make a difference.

Fun Fact: He played high school football at Hawaii Preparatory Academy in Kamuela, Hawaii.

Round 3, pick 27: Deon Butler, WR, Penn State



Of course I was hoping we would end up with Crabtree somehow (the Raiders are idiots), but I would take Curry over him every time, especially since we signed Houshmandzadeh. The Seahawks moved up to take Butler who was a standout at Penn State where he finished with the record for most receptions (passing former Seahawk Bobby Engram).

Fun fact: Butler spent the summer of 2008 as an intern with the Philadelphia Police Department's Crime Scene Unit, observing several homicide crime scenes, and augmenting his degree with valuable field experience.

Round 6, pick 5: Mike Teel, QB, Rutgers


Fun fact: On December 4, 2008, Teel had a career night in the final home game of his college career, completing 21 of 26 passes for 447 yards and seven touchdowns with no interceptions as Rutgers routed Louisville 63-14. The yardage and touchdown totals were single game school records as the Scarlet Knights finished their schedule at 7-5.


Round 7, pick 36: Courtney Greene, S, Rutgers

Round 7, pick 38: Nick Reed, DE, Oregon

Round 7, pick 39: Cameron Morrah, TE, California

I honestly don't know enough about the last 3 picks to offer any analysis, but I do know that they all filled team needs (except running back).

Undrafted signed free agents:

Michael Bennett, DE, Texas A&M
Tony Fein, LB, Mississippi
Dave Philistin, OLB, Maryland
Devin Moore, RB, Wyoming
Andre Ramsey, OT, Ball State
Tyler Roehl, RB, North Dakota State

We ended up with a couple running backs after all. I've heard good things about Devin Moore, so we'll see what he can do, plus Tyler Roehl is like a legend here in North Dakota so I really hope he takes it to the next level, it would definitely help the local market to pick up some Seahawks games.


Overall, I love what the Seahawks did in the draft, and that usually doesn't happen, they usually find a way to screw something up. I'm ecstatic that we got Aaron Curry, plus a trade with the Broncos gives us their 1st rounder next year...so I'm really counting on Denver to suck.

This was a little bit of a head scratcher, because I felt that Seattle still needed a running back to throw into the mix and there were still some viable options on the board. Teel's alright, but we already had a clipboard holder in David Greene and I'm afraid that Teel's headed to the same fate. I really hope I'm wrong because I know of a couple other 6th round quarterbacks that had their fair share of doubters.

Remember When Andre Smith Was Considered The Best Lineman in The Draft?

Yeah, doesn't that seem like a long time ago? This kid was the cream of the crop last fall, but his Sugar Bowl suspension pretty much started the snowball rolling downhill. When the combine started, he wasn't even sure he was going to work out. He even admitted he was out of shape and just began working out again the weekend of the combine. Why would he even admit that? He then said he was going to participate in the combine and then mysteriously didn't appear. At this point, a lot of NFL teams were questioning his work-ethic, fitness, and sanity.

Once he actually showed up, he then posted lackluster numbers and gave awesome interviews:

(Per SI.com) Smith reportedly dressed "inappropriately" to the visits and gave conflicting reasons for why he wouldn't work out. "Several" offensive line coaches tell Pauline that they want Smith removed from their teams' draft boards.

I wonder what he was wearing? Hopefully it was that ugly Ed Hardy crap...man I hate that stuff.

(Per NFL.com) Alabama OL Andre Smith benched 225 lbs. only 19 times at the Crimson Tide Pro Day Wednesday.
Smith's long arms make benching more difficult, but this is certainly fewer reps than expected. Smith's reputation is as a punishing, powerful run blocker. We would've bet on something in the 25-30 range.

pfffft... come on Andre, who CAN'T bench 225 lbs 30 times? Actually, I think I just pulled a muscle typing that last sentence.


Alabama OL Andre Smith was "visibly overweight" at his Pro Day Wednesday, according to Profootballtalk.com.
Terms like "not overly impressive," "rough," and "he bombed" are being used to describe Smith's effort.


Is he trying to lose money? When you dedicate your life to football and are projected as a top 5 pick, you figure it shouldn't be that hard to hit the gym and not make an ass out of yourself at the biggest job interview of your life. Just my two cents.

Photo credits go to TheBigLead.