NFL News & Rumors Digest

Fans of the Carolina Panthers, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, and San Francisco 49ers can be on high alert now for their team getting struck by the dreaded “Madden” curse.

That’s due to the fact the “Madden NFL 13″ cover vote’s final four was set on Wednesday, with Cam Newton, Calvin Johnson, Aaron Rodgers, and Patrick Willis advancing in the bracket.

Newton will face Willis, while Rodgers and Johnson will square off in the other matchup.

In the quarterfinals, Newton received 70 percent of 447,395 votes to defeat Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald Willis 55 percent of 451,998 votes to edge New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz Rodgers 55 percent of 448,698 votes to get by Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice and Johnson 63 percent of 453,466 votes to beat New England Patriots tight finish Rob Gronkowski.

The winners will be announced April 18.

(About:) This article was distributed by Syndicated Sports news wire and aggregation service, For more NFL news see: ‘Madden’ cover semis: Newton vs. Willis Rodgers vs. Johnson.

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Fans of Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton and his counterpart in Cincinnati, Andy Dalton, who began the afternoon griping about their guys getting snubbed for the Pro Bowl can relax.

That’s because there’s a pretty good opportunity one, or even both, rookies could wind up on the sidelines in Hawaii right after all. Newton and Dalton have each been voted 1st alternates at their position, Newton for the NFC and Dalton for the AFC.

Because the Pro Bowl is played on the Sunday among the conference championship games and the Super Bowl, alternates are chosen at each and every position. When it comes to players who have reached the Super Bowl, are injured, or simply decline to participate for personal causes, the alternates are 1st on the call list.

Taking into consideration quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger had been all voted onto their conferences’ respective teams, it would take a playoff upset of significant proportions to keep either rookie out of the Pro Bowl.

The Bengals announced Dalton’s choice Tuesday afternoon, and Newton’s choice was reported by the Charlotte Observer, which cited a league source.

Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow has been voted a second alternate for the AFC, the Denver Post reported.

In time, the unique seasons put up by two impressive rookies could be rewarded with a trip to the Pro Bowl.

(About:) This article was distributed by Syndicated Sports news wire and aggregation service, For far more NFL news see: Rookie QBs Newton, Dalton chosen first alternates for Pro Bowl.

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Despite the fact that the signs point to quarterback Cam Newton beginning the regular-season opener for the Panthers, the Panthers have yet to commit to the first overall choose in the draft as the opening-day starter.

Newton will get a chance to make his case one a lot more time for the job (or to lose it), when he begins the preseason finale against the Steelers.

“The big thing is to continue to see how he handles almost everything,” coach Ron Rivera said Saturday, via Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com. “We have to really study him and watch him.  We have to make certain he’s progressing in the appropriate direction.  This is a really sincere factor for us.  We do not want to just say, ‘Hey, you are the guy,’ and walk away from it.  At the exact same time, we want him to realize that he is working towards becoming our guy.”

It makes sense for the Panthers to give Newton a whirl.  Apart from the truth that the current trend in the NFL favors a baptism by fire, the alternatives are Jimmy Clausen and Derek Anderson.

In 3 preseason appearances, Newton has thrown 52 passes, connecting on 21.  That’s a completion percentage of only 40.3.  He has generated 275 yards, an average of 5.28 per attempt.  Newton has thrown no touchdown passes, and no interceptions.

Clausen has completed 17 of 29 passes for 173 yards, one touchdown, and 1 interception.

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As the month in which most of the annual offseason work takes location reaches a conclusion, a slew of young players — which includes four first-round rookie quarterbacks — have had no access to their facilities or coaching staffs or any of the things that an NFL team does now to lay the foundation for September.

Panthers owner Jerry Richardson, 1 of the men leading the charge for a management-friendly CBA, says he’s not worried about the fact that his first-round quarterback, also the 1st overall pick in the draft, hasn’t been able to prepare like 1st-round quarterbacks usually prepare.  “The Panthers are going to be like everybody else and [Newton's] going to be like everyone else, so we all have to adjust and deal with what we have to deal with,” Richardson said at the ownership meetings, per Pro Football Weekly. “I’m not truly overly stressed out about it, personally.”

Though Newton has been putting in plenty of hours with budding quarterback guru Chris Weinke, some would say that it is no replacement for acquiring to know his new coaches — and for giving his new coaches a chance to get to know him.

“We’re all playing by the identical rules,” Richardson stated.  “If we weren’t, then it would be a distinct deal.”

He’s correct, but he’s also wrong.  Although each team ought to deal with the rules of the lockout, only a handful of franchises could be trying to slap together preparations for a season on the fly with new coaches, new quarterbacks, and/or new coordinators.

The Panthers, 49ers, Titans, Browns, and Vikings particularly will be at a substantial disadvantage.  But we don’t expect Richardson to acknowledge that.  He and his other hard-line partners have decided to push for the deal they want regardless of the short-term consequences — even if those short-term consequences mean that, given small chance to get ready for some football in 2011, their own teams will suck.

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No. 1 overall choose Cam Newton can’t function with the Panthers right now.  Instead, he’s getting tutored by a former Panthers quarterback who had his fair share of college success.

Chris Weinke is working with Newton for 1-2 hours a day at the IMG Institute in Bradenton, Florida, helping to “refine” Newton’s game.

Newton was in New Orleans Friday to accept the Manning Award given annually to the nation’s top college quarterback.  (Why are they still giving awards for a season that ended 4 months ago?)

While there, Newton talked about his workout schedule.  He says he’s sometimes at the IMG facility from 7 a.m. to 7 at night, with significantly of the work on conditioning.

Panthers fans would possibly handpick a different quarterback coach for Newton than Weinke (Steve Beurlein?), but we’ll try to refrain from any wisecracks.  Or references to Weinke’s rough 1-15 rookie year.

Most quarterback coaches and gurus have accomplished much less on the field than Weinke, and it didn’t hurt their ability to teach.

If anything, Panthers fans should be encouraged Newton appears to be doing every little thing he can to be prepared for the season.

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What was considered a lock coming into Thursday’s NFL Draft became just that as Auburn quarterback Cam Newton was selected by the Carolina Panthers at No. 1.
“Man, am I happy,” Newton said to Reuters. “I’m glad for it to be over. There’s been some sleepless nights. … Oh, man, I’m relieved. What I really want to do, I can’t do it. I just want to scream.”
Newton played just one season as a starter in FBS college football, but it was one of the greatest seasons of any player in the sport’s history. He scored 50 total touchdowns and committed just seven turnovers. He won the Heisman Trophy and led the undefeated Tigers to a BCS National Championship. FANTASY ANALYSIS: So Carolina becomes Cam-olina. No? Fine.
I don’t think Newton is the best player in this draft, but Carolina was in a tough spot. Jimmy Clausen didn’t show anything that said “future starter” in 2010. Newton is probably not even the best quarterback in this draft, but he’s an athletic freak who can sell tickets, and the Panthers needed to make a splash. Mission accomplished. He has all the physical tools and then some to be a good QB, but Newton is not week-one ready in the NFL. Unfortunately, that’s what he’ll have to be come September. Clausen isn’t a seat-warmer, he’s a bench-warmer. Throwing Cam into the fray right away and the inevitable losses could hurt his confidence. To me, that’s a bigger long-term worry when it comes to Newton than all this debate regarding his desire to win. He’s a more intriguing prospect than Tim Tebow because he’ll probably be expected to start from the … start. But I’m not going to be a big Cam Newton buyer in fantasy drafts right away.

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Before signing off on the decision to draft Cam Newton No. 1 overall, Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson invited the former Auburn quarterback to his home and pulled out a letter from a fan. “In that letter,” explained Newton, “the person said, ‘Mr. Richardson, can you please ask Cam Newton if he wants to be great?”‘ A day after the Panthers gambled that Newton does…

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Cam Newton is headed to Carolina as the first pick in the 2011 NFL draft. Newton, the Heisman Trophy-winning Auburn quarterback, has just become the most important player on a franchise that desperately needs a star. Although he’s one of the most controversial players in college football history — and was booed by the fans…

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