Carolina Panthers Have Tough Decision At Quarterback

Jimmy Clausen Signs, But Will He Start?

The mind of a young man is a fragile thing, and that’s part of the reason that quarterbacks are often holding clipboards in their first years as a pro. Jimmy Clausen may have fell in to the laps of the Carolina Panthers, but the question now is whether or not he will earn the starting spot under center.

Only a handful of rookie quarterbacks should ever star the season. You have to be wired properly; you have to be able to survive your lumps and losses and continue to improve. Matthew Stafford is a prime example of a guy who deserved to get the nod in his first year. David Carr is not.

What makes Clausen probably best suited to start is the fact that he’s familiar with the pro style offense after playing for three years in Notre Dame under Charlie Weis. The other element that makes him stand out is the fact that he’s one of the few quarterbacks taken in this draft that actually played away from his home town.

The California native was considered NFL ready, but many scouts doubted that he had the arm strength to be immediately effective at the NFL level. With a four-year deal that includes $2.53 million guaranteed, the Panthers are hoping that he’s the quarterback of the future.

Standing in Clausen’s way is Matt Moore, the incumbent starter of the Carolina Panthers who replaced Jake Delhomme in Week 13 of last season. Moore was extremely effective in the pocket averaging 15.8 completions for 198.0 passing yards in five games. He totaled 8 touchdowns and registered just one pick as the Panthers finished the season with a 4-1 SU and 5-0 ATS record.

If Matt Moore can continue the momentum at quarterback, there’s no reason he shouldn’t earn the starting role. In fact, if you like Moore as much as the sharps did at the tail end of the 2009 NFL Futures for Carolina to win the NFC South at +600.

If Clausen gets the start and fails, Carolina will grow impatient with him and the worst thing that can happen to the young rookie is losing the starting spot after training camp. It’s better for him to earn it by default if Moore fails to impress. That’s a given.

The lynchpin in the argument is Steve Smith, who at 31-years old is approaching the doorstep of his twilight years. The 5-foot-9, 185 pound speedster has been a stud in football and had his worst personal season since emerging as a go-to guy. Smith finished the season with 65 catches, 982 yards and 7 touchdowns, and much of his issues had to do with Jake Delhomme’s futility at quarterback last season.

Smith is undeniably the Panthers’ best option at receiver. The problem is that he’s the only option. DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart form an impossible tandem at running-back but Smith has no heir apparent behind him to relieve coverage or scoring pressure.

That puts the Panthers in a tough situation. Do they take their chances with Moore in the 2010 NFL betting season, or do they throw Clausen to the wolves and hope he can materialize as the franchise guy they’re hoping he can be? The team unfortunately doesn’t have the timeline to wait for Clausen to become The Man while Smith’s career is winding to an end.