It’s week four in the NFL with the Carolina Panthers at 2-1, and I continue to stand behind my belief that the Carolina will not make the playoffs this year, and will come to regret a failure not to seek a trade for the first pick in the NFL draft with the Cleveland Browns that would secure the Panther franchise with the ability to compete for the playoffs for the next decade or more! Here is what I said about the BIG MISTAKE the Panthers made concerning this year’s NFL draft:

I believe the Carolina Panthers made a mistake prior to the draft that will haunt them long into the future of their franchise. In the pre-draft period, the Carolina Panthers could have traded for multiple draft picks including multiple first-round draft picks with the Cleveland Browns in exchange for Panthers’ Quarterback Cam Newton. Besides the multiple picks that Carolina would have received for Cam, Carolina’s salary cap situation would have been improved well below the cap as a result of the trade. Carolina should have taken Mitch Trubisky with Cleveland’s first pick and would have still been able to get McCaffrey with their own pick. Plus, Carolina with the other picks received in the trade could have been used them to help in regards to other areas of need on defense and offense.

As much as I am a fan of Cam Newton, especially with how Cam interacts with kids, I believe it was the right time prior to the draft to trade Cam for the first overall draft choice of Cleveland plus other draft choices and move on in a new direction with Trubisky. Despite Cam being the best physical athlete ever to play the position of quarterback in the NFL, it still doesn’t change Cam’s under average performance as a passer. The number one purpose of a quarterback is to be a great efficient passer with accuracy that keeps moving the chains and doesn’t turn the ball over. Being a great runner is just icing on the cake, but it doesn’t make you a great quarterback. In Cam’s six years as Carolina’s quarterback, He has not been a great passing quarterback, having among the worst passing percentages in the league, especially the last three years, including his Super Bowl Championship Game year. His third-down completion rate is even worse and his completion rate for screen passes is terrible as well. Cam also holds the ball too long causing sacks and often gets easily rattled under pressure in the pocket. Cam passes are thrown too hard and they often sail on the receivers. In the six years as Carolina’s quarterback, Cam’s stats have not shown a positive track for improvement. His quick third downs and out also hurt our defense as they are back on the field again too quickly and for too long. Often last year our defense ran out of gas as a result. Couple that with his lack of pre-season practice, which Cam really needs; I see no reason for Cam to improve. Having new offensive weapons is great and I believe McCaffrey and Samuel are pluses, but it still doesn’t change the person (Cam Newton) who is responsible for getting the ball to them. Finally, the 2015 Super Bowl Game with Denver left Cam’s leadership ability with Carolina with cracks in its foundation which I don’t believe will ever be totally repaired. When Cam chose not to dive on that lost fumble in a game where the "heart and soul" of Carolina Panthers, Thomas Davis, was playing with a broken arm in a cast, Cam left a divide among fans and players alike which cannot be overcome. Carolina will now have to make a big decision on Cam, who will have hit the big 30 in age when his contract comes up. Either Carolina will have to choose not to renew or sign Cam to a new contract, which means they are unlikely to get any value for him or very little, or choose to resign Cam to a new contract in which the Panthers will end up most likely overpaying for Cam’s worth, which usually happens with quarterbacks. The Panthers did that this year in their new starting left tackle, paying Matt Kalil a contract that was way too much and undeserving for what He had done as a Minnesota Viking. This was the ideal time to trade Cam to get maximum value for him, and Carolina made a mistake not to pursue a trade with Cleveland!

Mitch Trubisky is the type of quarterback that Carolina needs. His college stats clearly show how efficient Trubisky is as He controls the ball and protects it from turnovers. He is accurate, makes good decisions in the pocket, and doesn’t get rattled much. In the NFL pre-season, Trubisky was the most efficient quarterback in the league, quite an accomplishment for a rookie quarterback. Trubisky’s time management would also be a plus for the defense to get their proper rest to be more effective. In the long run, Trubisky is the type of quarterback to get Carolina to a Super Bowl win! Trubisky will make the Panthers regret the day they didn’t consider a trade of Cam to Cleveland for multiple picks including the first pick in the draft to be able to choose Mitch Trubisky as Carolina’s starting quarterback!

If my prediction that Carolina fails to make the playoffs happens, Carolina will have a new Coach and new coordinators, and Carolina will be considering the future of Cam Newton as a Panther. Only one person has in hands the ability to make my prediction wrong. His name is Cam Newton and I hope he does!