The bandwagon for Cam Newton was overflowing after his victory in the BCS Title Game but the sturdy quarterback began hearing comparisons to much less talented players in the NFL. JaMarcus Russel’s name was unfairly brought up and Vince Young was also used as an example of what Newton could become.

NFL Draft boards began to adjust after the combine but there were still skeptics. Newton’s credibility came into question but no proof was provided that Newton attempted to get paid to play for Mississippi State, Auburn or Florida.

Newton has already begun to prove his critics wrong early in the season.The first regular-season game he played in was an example to the NFL of what a No. 1 NFL Draft choice can perform like if he receives the proper motivation.

Newton’s rise to prominence in the NFL is traced back to his junior college days after Newton got released from the Florida program. The move to junior college was huge ego blow to Newton but he did not let himself get down.

Newton used the opportunity to showcase his talents against the junior college players who did not have much football savvy. It was in junior college that Newton caught the eye of Auburn head coach Gene Chizik, and the rest is history. Newton is a success no matter happens in next 12 NFL games.

Make sure to check out all of the prop bets for both Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers at your favorite online sportsbook.

Julius Peppers

One more day until we find out whether Julius Peppers goes for the money or he goes for the chance to win a championship.

He already has a boatload of money from his time with the Carolina Panthers, so he doesn’t need to pursue the highest-value contract. But, you can never have enough mansions.

If he wants to go for a Super Bowl, he’s going to have to accept less money since none of the teams that play in the sort of situation that he’s looking for can afford to spend what Peppers is asking for.

If rumors are to be believed, there are four likely destinations for Julius Peppers: the Chicago Bears, the Washington Redskins, the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots.

Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears may not be able to afford Peppers, but they’d dearly like to have him in the line-up.

It’s rumored that some of the Bears staff met with Carl Carey who happens to be Peppers representative at the NFL Scouting Combine. Peppers is Carey’s only client, so unless they were talking about the weather…

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles won’t be able to compete with some of the top-dollar teams, but if Peppers decides a championship is more important than money then the Eagles should be in the mix.

Peppers would help the Eagles short-term, but he doesn’t make a lot of sense. The Eagles don’t normally spend a lot on free-agents, and they don’t normally sign older players like Peppers to long expensive deals. They’d be more likely to sign some of the cheaper free agents out there.

Washington Redskins

Under Shanahan, the Redskins are switching to a 3-4 defense which means Peppers would have to switch to outside linebacker. But Peppers has already made it known that he’d like to see how he fits in a 3-4 defense.

The Redskins can afford send the Brinks truck to Peppers, but they’re probably not going to be a championship contender for a little while so Peppers would have to give up on his dream of winning a Super Bowl.

New England Patriots

The Patriots are the perfect 3-4 team for Peppers, but they can’t afford to pay him anywhere near what he’ll get from some other teams.

The Pats with Peppers become instant Super Bowl contenders. He could do that for any number of teams, but the Pats can afford to pay him more (at his discounted price) than he’s likely to get from teams like the Eagles.