Parcells likes Newton "very much"

Bill Parcells added his name to the growing number of Cam Newton fans Tuesday night in an ESPN draft special, calling Newton the best of the QB bunch in this year's draft and saying he liked Newton "very much."

Parcells noted, however, that less than 10 percent of the more than 60 quarterbacks taken in the first round in the past 30 NFL drafts had become "blue chip" QBs (by his definition). And, he said, more than half had washed out after "totally nondescript" careers.

I wrote my column for Wednesday's newspaper and online about the pressure on rookie Carolina head coach Ron Rivera, who will forever be linked with whatever the Panthers do with the No.1 pick in Thursday's draft. (I want them to pick Newton, as I've already written).

Parcells said something apropos about that pressure on Rivera, GM Marty Hurney and others in the draft room Thursday when he noted about any team that picks a QB early:

"You're going to have to give the guy a chance, and you're going to have to live with the result. And if it's no good, probably someone else is going to get to live with the next result. It probably won't be you."

Note to readers: Watch for my on-location draft reports from New York starting Wednesday online and starting Thursday in the Charlotte Observer. I will be posting observations and news both on this blog and occasionally on Twitter (@Scott_Fowler), and of course we will have much more draft coverage from Charlotte (don't miss the Observer's annual "Top 100" Thursday).