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Carolina Panthers Tickets – Clausen Is in Good Situation for Rookie QB
While Sam Bradford and Tim Tebow face considerable scrutiny in their first season in the NFL, former Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen gets to enjoy relative obscurity this season with the Carolina Panthers. Though he still is a highly touted quarterback that is expected to one day take over as the Panthers' starter, the pressure is nowhere near as intimidating as it would have been if he was selected in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. While Bradford and Tebow will be called upon to make nearly immediate impacts with their respective teams, Clausen has the advantage of sitting back and learning the position at the pro level, which could help him develop as the best in the draft class.
Outside of his draft position, though, Clausen also has the benefit of a much stronger offensive team than either Bradford or Tebow will play on this season. Outside of stud running back Stephen Jackson, the St. Louis Rams have a very poor offensive line and limited weapons in skill positions, which will make it very difficult on Bradford if they look to start him this season. Tebow is in a slightly better situation than Bradford and could make an immediate impact in Wildcat-like formations, but the Broncos faced heavy criticism for drafting Tebow in the first round. If Tebow doesn't soon develop into a starting quarterback, something that may never happen anyway, Tebow will be faced with diamond-yielding pressure.
In Carolina, Clausen has the advantage of a strong offense outside of the quarterback position. With a good offensive line and two beastly running backs in DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, the Panthers will look to continue their style of power football, which will only help in Clausen's development. If quarterbacks Matt Moore and Hunter Cantwell don't get the job done in 2010 and the Panthers turn to Clausen to start a few games towards the end of the season, Clausen won't be nearly as exposed as either Bradford or Tebow.
In terms of receivers, Clausen once again has a step up on his peers. Even with Jake Delhomme no longer being a viable quarterback in 2009, he still got the ball to Steve Smith enough for him to have more than 100 catches and 1,200 yards. Smith is clearly still an elite wide receiver talent, though he often gets lost in the discussion due to the quarterbacking troubles that the Panthers have had in recent years. Tebow has almost no one to throw the ball to in Denver now that Brandon Marshall was traded. Similarly, the Rams' top receiver in 2009 was Donnie Avery, who is far less than an ideal number one target.
The money is also certainly a factor as well, and one that cannot be dismissed. Though Clausen certainly would have rather had first-round money, being selected at the end of the second round definitely has its own advantages. Bradford will likely be the highest paid player on his team as the number one overall pick and Tebow will also sign a huge contract as well. Since the rookie pay scale has yet to be amended, the Rams and Broncos will need to get a return on their investment fairly quickly. Clausen, on the other hand, will be paid substantially less than either one, which buys him considerable leeway from the franchise, and likely from fans as well.
Clausen has all the physical tools to succeed in the NFL, but the situation one gets drafted into is often overlooked. The wrong situation can ruin a good or even great player, particularly a quarterback, and the right situation can help a player to blossom. Heading into his rookie season, it seems Clausen is in the right place to succeed and help sell plenty of <a href="http://www.stubhub.com/carolina-panthers-tickets/">Carolina Panthers tickets</a> throughout his career. Now it's up to him.
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<a href="http://www.stubhub.com/">StubHub</a> has sponsored this article, which was written by David James. Stubhub.com is one of the leaders in the business of selling <a href="http://www.stubhub.com/carolina-panthers-tickets/">Carolina Panthers tickets</a>, sports tickets, concert tickets, theatre tickets, or even special events tickets.
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