There is no 2011 NFL Draft prospect that needs a better week at this year's NFL Combine than Auburn quarterback Cam Newton. The junior entrant - 14-0 with 50 touchdowns as Auburn's championship and Heisman-winning signal caller - said Monday evening that he would participate fully in this week's Combine events.
Saying that he wants to "be transparent" throughout the pre-draft process, all indications are that Newton will do what most top quarterback prospects do not do in Indianapolis: throw the football. This is of critical importance to Newton coming from the spread option, as scouts are eager to see not just his mechanical progress, but his anticipation on certain throws. It won't mean a lot in the grand scheme of things, but this is a great decision for Newton to make.
Meanwhile, Newton's competition to be the first quarterback off the board in April, Missouri's Blaine Gabbert, will not throw at the Combine, per a USA Today report. That information became public before Newton's pronouncement, however; if Gabbert has any sense, he'll throw as well - otherwise, he'll be in real danger of losing major ground to a player many already believe is the higher-upside quarterback between the two contenders.