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Should the Panther consider finding Cam's replacement?


patriotsheatyan

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14 hours ago, lancerman said:

I wouldn't say replacement. BUT you might want a quality back up. Cam's been in the league 6 years. He's closing in on 30. I can just see his body start breaking down. Once he starts losing mobility and can't make plays outside the pocket he's going to be a poor QB. 

Eh, I can see him becoming the next McNabb. He's not largely football illiterate like Vick and other mobile QBs.

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I think Cam makes poor decisions and struggles with his accuracy at times, but I don't think it's an extraordinary amount for an NFL QB. The top guys in the league are more consistent in their accuracy and decision making, but I don't think Cam is some bum in that regard.  And I think you have to evaluate his play in the context of his offense. There is talent at the skill positions.  He has decent TEs (and a great one with Olsen is healthy) and McCaffrey, as disappointed as some are with him, poses matchup trouble for defenses when coming out of the backfield (but he isn't being used as effectively as he could be).  While the WRs aren't great at creating separation from defenders on their routes, leading to a lot of tight window throws for Cam, I think they are OK.  Some of Cam's interceptions have come from Kelvin Benjamin being very lazy on his routes and allowing defenders to cut in front of slant routes.  That should never happen.

That being said, I think the primary issues with Carolina's offense are schematic and subpar offensive line play.  

First and foremost, I don't believe that the route combinations Mike Shula has been cooking up help the WRs get open.  A good example from yesterday's game was a play with 4 players running go routes and McCaffrey leaking out of the backfield into the middle of the field as a check down.   There was no interplay in the routes that would make defenders have to diagnose what WRs to follow in coverage or which zones they needed to occupy.   Nor do I think that Mike Shula has been calling good games of late.  He hasn't been calling the right plays at the right time, I guess you could say.

If the offensive line can play better, whether it's due to the existing players stepping up and executing better or to bringing in replacement players, then I think a lot of Cam's struggles go away.  You simply can't be under duress like he was yesterday against the Bears, which was a pretty typical showing for the Panthers offensive line of late.   Also, if the offensive line could run block better and allow Carolina to run the ball more traditionally, that would take a lot of pressure off Newton.

So in short (TL/DR): Cam isn't perfect, but he's a good enough QB to win with if the offensive line would stop some of the punishment he's taking and the offensive coordinator would put all his offensive players in a better position to succeed.

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