Was it Luck that Cam Newton Ranked Ahead of Andrew "Caveman" Luck in the NFL Top 100?

Wednesday night, NFL Network continued its Top 100 Players of 2014 and, in a somewhat shocking reveal ranked Cam Newton at #24.  Although I was a little surprised, I wasn’t disappointed.  It’s nice to see Cam get some credit for his growth as a player and contribution to Carolina’s divisional
championship run.  I thought this was a fair ranking, despite the fact that Cam’s stats declined on paper a bit.  Cam may have not put up the freakish numbers he did in his first two seasons, but he did have his best season as a quarterback, leading his team to 12 wins, a division championship, and an impressive 62% completion rate.  Perhaps the most pleasing part of this ranking was that SuperCam was ranked six spots higher than Andrew Luck.  Anytime I see Cam Newton stick it to Andrew Luck, I’m smiling!  I still believe Andrew Luck decided to forgo the NFL draft and return for his senior season because he didn’t want to come to Carolina—and for that I will never like him.  Maybe I should though, because I love some Cam Newton.  This guy has what it takes to be one of the greatest ever, and I’m still ecstatic he landed in Carolina!

Described by Ryan Kalil as an “incredible teammate” and by Mike Tolbert as “destined for greatness,” Cam Newton has become Carolina’s first superstar.  He is the first player in NFL history to accumulate more than 13,000 combined passing and rushing yards in his first three seasons.  His rise to stardom hasn’t been without criticism, however, and neither was this ranking ahead of Andrew Luck at #24 out of 100.  In NFL Network’s Around the League podcast, Dan Hanzus, Gregg Rosenthal and Chris Wesseling all stated they would all take Andrew Luck over of Cam Newton.  Rosenthal claimed that it “really isn’t even close” between the two and that he didn’t think any GM would take Newton ahead of Luck.   I’m not sure I agree.  Look, Luck is clearly a good player, but so is Cam.  These guys are way too in love with Andrew Luck.  Dan Hanzus joked he would “get in bed” with Andrew Luck over even Aaron Rodgers!

Cam took a big step forward last year as a quarterback and leader.  I truly believe he is showing that he will be better than anyone expected.  So many want to write him off as a running quarterback or just a freak athlete.  Yes, he is a freak athlete and he can shrug off six tackles and the run for 30 yards, but he’s also emerging as a top-tier quarterback.  If he continues to improve as he did last year, WATCH OUT!  You may just be watching one of the greatest ever.

Cam is the real deal.  Let’s hope he gets a big deal from Dave Gettleman and proves it to the haters.