Anthony Richardson Compares Himself to Cam Newton

Will the Panthers draft a quarterback similar to Cam Newton?

The Carolina Panthers have a difficult decision to make in regard to the quarterback position. Do they stay put at No. 9 in the draft and hope the guy they like falls into their lap? Do they make a trade to move up the board? Or do they sign a free agent veteran like Derek Carr and take a developmental type of quarterback who can sit and learn?

There's a million ways this thing can all shake out. But over the next week or so, we should have a pretty good idea of what Carolina's plan is in terms of what they will do in the first round. 

One quarterback that has become popular amongst the Panthers fanbase is Anthony Richardson out of Florida. His 6'4', 230-pound frame combined with his gifted ability to run the ball reminds everyone of former Panthers QB Cam Newton. 

During an interview with CBS Sports at the 2023 NFL Combine, Richardson was asked who he would compare himself to at the next level. His answer? You guessed it.

"Growing up, that guy was always Cam Newton for me. That's always been the guy I looked up to."

When asked if he is a better thrower of the football coming out of college than Newton was, Richardson replied, "I believe so."

Newton was the first overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft and for good reason. He took Auburn to a national title just one year after they had gone 8-5. Unfortunately for Richardson, there is a great deal of concern about his inconsistencies at the collegiate level. He isn't as polished as Newton was when he came out which is why many believe Richardson could slide right to Carolina at No. 9.

Richardson spoke about those ups and downs and where those inconsistencies stem from.

"Growing up, I've always been the biggest and fastest player on the field. So, at times it was easy for me to just take over the game and just play hero ball. I got to college and realized that's not really how football is supposed to be played. You're supposed to manage the game. And I didn't realize that until this past season. I just put the hero ball stuff behind me and just learn how to manage the game and play throughout the system."

Later today, Richardson will participate in on-field workouts, getting to show of his unreal athleticism and cannon for an arm. So for a couple of hours, everyone is going to forget about the inconsistent play and fall in love with what he does in these drills in Indianapolis. 

But in all honesty, landing somewhere like Carolina is probably the best scenario for him solely based on the support he'll have. He would have one of the best coaching staff's in the league to work with, a true No. 1 WR in DJ Moore, a top-10 offensive line, and will likely be able to sit and learn behind a veteran.

"I have a lot of faith in our staff. If we do take a project [in the draft], if we do take someone that is more developmental, we have the right people in that room working with him every day," Panthers GM Scott Fitterer said on Wednesday in Indianapolis. "We have Josh McCown, who is not far off of playing that can talk to him like a player, sees it like a player. We have the veterans in that room that can surround him. And then, if you have to put him in to play the game, maybe they're not ready, they know how to call a game to put him in a position to be successful."

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