Cam Newton quietly walked around as cameras swarmed Carolina's new kicker Olindo Mare. Newton peeked out from behind a lens and asked his Panthers' teammate, "How hot was it today?" Newton sure didn't act like a No. 1 pick shortchanged by the rookie wage scale. The Heisman Trophy winner spoke Saturday for the first time since signing a four-year, $22 million with the Panthers. His deal was set by the newly bargained rookie scale that was part of the agreement between NFL owners and players. Newton took a major financial hit as the draft's top selection, getting $56 million or so less than Sam Bradford's $78 million, six-year deal he got as St. Louis' No. 1 pick. "It really doesn't matter," Newton said. "Either way you look at it, I've still got more money than I've ever had." Read more: http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/6818807/carolina-panthers-cam-newton-happy-deal-rookie-scale
I love the rookie scale. Let them get a chance to opt out early and earn more money, if they turn out to be superstars.
