When the Carolina Panthers selected Cam Newton number one overall, it was presumably to find their Quarterback of the Future. However it’s also had the effect of lighting a fire under Carolina’s most recent QBOTF, Jimmy Clausen.
The day after Newton was drafted, Clausen was reportedly one of the first players at the Panthers workout facility. Then on Saturday, many Panther players gathered for a charity kickball game benefiting cystic fibrosis research with both Clausen and Newton in attendance – and both wearing No. 2. As for which one will wear that number when the season kicks off, we’ll just have to wait.
Newton wore No.2 at Auburn and said Friday he’d like to keep it. He might have to set aside some bonus money for it.
“It’s mine right now,” Clausen said of the No.2 jersey. “We’ll see what happens.”
Has Clausen set an asking price?
He smiled and said again: “We’ll see what happens.”
So Clausen has started to make his stand, eh? For a young player who hasn’t come close to establishing himself, giving up your number leads down a slippery slope that ends on the bench. This new fire could be a sign of good things for Panthers fans and could make for an interesting quarterback competition, whenever training camps finally get underway.
However, fiery attitudes and a big workout regimen are no substitute for passing accuracy. To the winner of that camp conflict go the spoils of starting as an NFL quarterback.