NFL Draft 2011: A Spiteful Evaluation of Cam Newton's Personality [UPDATE]
By Ty Duffy
Scouts equivocate far less than they should. Small slights and perceived malfeasances lead to sweeping predictions that send prospects tumbling down draft boards. There’s a reason some people never rise beyond scout. Pro Football Weekly’s Nolan Nawrocki evaluated Cam Newton. He wasn’t dazzled.
Describing Cam’s personality, Nawrocki absolutely savages him.
"“Very disingenuous — has a fake smile, comes off as very scripted and has a selfish, me-first makeup,”"
"“Always knows where the cameras are and plays to them. Has an enormous ego with a sense of entitlement that continually invites trouble and makes him believe he is above the law — does not command respect from teammates and will always struggle to win a locker room . . . Lacks accountability, focus and trustworthiness — is not punctual, seeks shortcuts and sets a bad example. Immature and has had issues with authority. Not dependable.”"
[UPDATE]: The entire report can be found here. We’ve pulled out the entire negatives section:
"Negatives: Played in a simplified, run-first, dive-option read offense with very basic high-low reads. Worked exclusively out of the gun and was very quick to run at the first flash of coverage. Limited field vision — does not process the passing game. Inconsistent throwing mechanics with a flick delivery — generates all of his power from his upper-body strength and too often arms the ball. Streaky passer with spotty accuracy. Makes his receivers work hard and throws into coverage. Does not spin a tight spiral. Very disingenuous — has a fake smile, comes off as very scripted and has a selfish, me-first makeup. Always knows where the cameras are and plays to them. Has an enormous ego with a sense of entitlement that continually invites trouble and makes him believe he is above the law — does not command respect from teammates and always will struggle to win a locker room. Only a one-year producer. Lacks accountability, focus and trustworthiness — is not punctual, seeks shortcuts and sets a bad example. Immature and has had issues with authority. Not dependable."
Apparently, a taut ass in workouts only carries you so far …
Nawrocki makes him sound like the world’s worst person below the murderer/rapist threshold. How useful is this? Well, the context is important. Nawrocki doesn’t provide any. Is this a personal reaction from meeting him while he was being shuffled around the combine or from coaches who have worked with him? None of these perceived negative qualities hindered him from being successful in college. It also seems a tad crude and naive to dissect the human psyche with the same scalpel as throwing mechanics. If we’re going to throw amateur psychological assessments around, the evaluation says as much about Nawrocki as it does about Newton.
Despite the scathing personal assault, Nawrocki has Newton going No. 10 to the Redskins.
[Photo via Getty]