Over the past few days, the speculation heated up involving the former Auburn quarterback being targeted by the Bengals.

The Carson Palmer era is nearing its conclusion, and it seems that owner Mike Brown is finally realizing that. Cincinnati was plagued by injuries and controversy between their two diva receivers, which made Carson Palmer request a trade to a team that will be in contention next season.

With question marks on both sides of the ball, it seems quarterback is the direction the Bengals are leaning towards. According to Pro Football Talk, Marvin Lewis is making it clear whom he thinks is the best quarterback prospect in this years draft: 

“He’s a real fine NFL prospect,” Lewis recently told the team’s official website.  “He’s got a great, great personality.  Magnetic.“He’s got it.  He’s got it.  Whoever said that wished they had it,” Lewis said. 

“It’s really important when you’re talking about evaluating the quarterback position that they have that.  That they’re that kind of guy.  You’ve got be a guy that is stand-up, ready to take control kind of guy."

Though many scouts and executives may consider this a smokescreen, I believe the intentions are real.

Cam Newton is a prospect the Bengals are targeting, with plenty of expectations behind him. Mike Brown is clearly not afraid that Newton will be the second coming of Akili Smith, a former athletic quarterback the Bengals selected in the top ten.

The question being asked right now is: What is the motive for drafting Cam Newton? Though I am not personally a fan of Newton as an NFL prospect, he fits the kind of prospect Brown is looking for.

I am not taking a shot at the Bengals' organization here, but am just being realistic. Mike Brown is profit first, and winning second. There is no doubt Newton is an exciting player to watch on the field.

Newton's presence could energize a Cincinnati fan base that decreased in attendance last season. It is possible that Newton could make an immediate impact on profits by starting early in the regular season. This obviously depends on whether or not the pending lockout comes to an end.

With a new offensive system being implemented, a change needs to happen at the quarterback position. Despite winning the AFC North title two seasons ago, the Bengals face difficulty in posing a challenge to the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers on a consistent basis.

Both the Bengals and Carson Palmer need a change of scenery. The direction of the Bengals is leaning towards drafting an athletic quarterback who could have the potential to be great.

I have made the argument that Cam Newton will not be going first overall to the Carolina Panthers. However, Newton being selected in the top ten seems imminent.

The Cincinnati Bengals could look to Cam Newton to help create a new image of a franchise that has struggled over the past decade.

I am a Featured Columnist for BleacherReport.com. Follow me on twitter: twitter.com/MattMiselis

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The recent speculation regarding the first overall pick seems to be favoring quarterback Cam Newton. Since winning the Heisman trophy and a national championship at Auburn, Newton's stock is rising through the month of March after his pro day and combine.

For many reasons, it makes sense why the draft stock of Newton is rising. Cam shows rare athleticism for a quarterback, along with finding success in his first year as a starting quarterback.

With the first pick in the draft, the Panthers could go in a few different directions. The direction at the quarterback position is a big question mark, and a few holes on the defensive side need to be addressed.

There is also an issue of consistently putting fans in the seats in Carolina, which could convince the Panthers management to select Cam Newton.

This is the only logical reason the Panthers are considering taking Newton. Besides the ability of bringing attention to this low-market franchise, I see no point in drafting the Auburn quarterback.

To me, I don't see any sense behind the move. Do the Panthers need to find a future quarterback? Yes, no doubt about it. Jimmy Clausen doesn't seem to have the potential to be a leader of a football team.

However, give the kid a break. Clausen was ridiculed heading into the draft for his attitude and saw his draft stock fall because of it. He was thrown into an offense that did not involve much offensive power to begin with (Steve Smith not much of a factor last season).

Let's not forget head coach John Fox knew he wasn't getting a new contract, and so did the rest of the locker room.

Despite not having confidence in Clausen, I think it's worth giving him one more chance this season. There's no reason not to.

The best possible quarterback in this years draft, Andrew Luck, stayed for his senior year at Stanford. None of the other quarterbacks in this draft are ready to start right away, especially Cam Newton.

Despite his potential, Newton is not poised to be the game one starter for this Panthers team. His accuracy and his overall intelligence as a quarterback is a big question mark.

At the college level, any player can take over a game by using their athleticism as an advantage. In the NFL, it is a completely different atmosphere.

Besides, this year's top 10 will be filled with defensive players. New Panthers head coach Ron Rivera has been a great defensive-minded coach and is remembered during his years with the Bears and most recently the San Diego Chargers.

I am sure he wants to turn his unit around into one of the best defenses in football, and that needs to start this year.

Rivera can address one of the few defensive needs with his first overall pick. He can select defensive tackle Nick Fairley to help anchor the front line of the Panthers. Da'Quan Bowers, the dominant pass rusher out of Clemson, could be brought in to replace Julius Peppers.

Though it has never been done before, the Panthers could take a cornerback first overall by selecting Patrick Peterson. Peterson is the best talent we have seen in a cornerback entering the draft since Darrelle Revis of the New York Jets.

With so many options to turn to, Carolina would be smart to pass on Cam Newton. This could all be a ploy by the Panthers to convince the public of their interest in Newton.

For their sake, it is in their best interests to pass up on a quarterback whose skill set is similar to draft busts Akili Smith and JaMarcus Russell.

I am an NFL Featured Columnist for B/R.com and have been featured on CBS Sports, National Football Post and Fox Sports.

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As Newton prepares to throw Sunday at the combine, there is already speculation of what teams are interested in selecting him this coming April.

The list continues to grow as the week continues. ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter noted five teams that have interviewed Newton at the combine.

"For what it's worth, teams that have interviewed Cam Newton at the combine include the Dolphins, Titans, 49ers, Seahawks and Cowboys," Schefter tweeted this morning.

However, the list does not stop there. AFC North blogger James Walker noted the Bengals have interviewed the former Heisman winner as well.

Many analysts, including Bleacher Report's own Michael Schottey, believe the Panthers will take Newton No. 1 overall.

There are a handful of teams within the top 10 that could take Newton, such as the Buffalo Bills at third overall.

All signs point to Cam Newton being a top-15 selection barring a screw-up at the combine or his Pro Day.

What teams will give serious consideration in selecting Newton? Time will tell, but it's fair to say many general managers must come out of the combine impressed with what they saw in the former Auburn quarterback.

Matt Miselis is a NFL Featured Columnist for BleacherReport.com and will be covering the NFL draft for the next two months.

Follow me on twitter: twitter.com/MattMiselis.

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This years free-agent class could be a big one, with the biggest name being Oakland Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha.

Though the Raiders could be in play for him in free agency, there is a good chance Asomugha will either go to a contender or a team that gives in to his demands by making him the highest-paid corner back in football.

With plenty of speculation going on about which teams will be in the running for his services, I am here today to give the true contenders—along with the pretenders—for the teams in the running for Asomugha.

I am a NFL Featured Columnist for BleacherReport.com. Follow me on twitter: twitter.com/MattMiselis

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I am going to avoid talking about the labor issue, since we will be hearing about it more in the next few weeks. I am going to stick to Saturday's top stories from around the NFL.

The NFL world is only two weeks removed from the Super Bowl, but that won't stop the media from providing 24/7 NFL offseason coverage.

There were plenty of rumors today, overtaking the Carmelo Anthony speculation and baseball spring training.

Here are the top NFL stories from the weekend so far.

I am an NFL Featured Columnist for BleacherReport.com. Follow me on twitter: twitter.com/MattMiselis

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With the first overall selection in this year's draft, the Carolina Panthers are showing no signs of what player they are looking at the most right now.

Even though the Panthers haven't made up their minds, it seems the Denver Broncos are nearing a conclusion about what direction it will go in.

According to Wes Bunting of the National Football Post, the Broncos are leaning toward Da'Quan Bowers at the moment.

According to his Twitter account: "Hearing the Broncos are starting to lean more toward DE Da'Quan Bowers with that number 2 pick, move to 43, he makes perfect sense #NFLDRAFT."

It doesn't seem too long ago that Bowers was rated the best college prospect in America before coming to the University of Clemson.

Now, he is likely to be one of the top two selections in this year's draft. His size and athleticism for a defensive end are rare and show signs of being an immediate threat in his rookie year.

This move could catch people off guard, because Pro Bowl defensive end Elvis Dumervil has been putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks for a few years.

However, drafting Bowers would help complete one part of the defense for John Fox.

The defense needs an overhaul, but small steps need to be made in this process. By drafting Bowers, the Broncos will have two good, young pass rushers who will be a part of a turnaround for one of the league's historic franchises.

I am an NFL Featured Columnist for BleacherReport.com. Follow me on twitter: twitter.com/MattMiselis and feel free to shoot me an email with questions/comments.

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In his third season as starter, Flacco had career highs in all major passing categories, and for a three month span was statistically the second best quarterback behind Tom Brady.

However, Joe couldn't avenge Ben Roethlisberger and the rival Pittsburgh Steelers as the Ravens fell in the divisional round.

Here are the keys for Joe Flacco to take the next step as a quarterback in 2011.

I am a Ravens and NFL Featured Columnist for BleacherReport: Follow me on twitter: twitter.com/MattMiselis

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Sanders, one of the greatest cornerbacks in league history highlights the anticipated class. Faulk also highlighted a great career with the St. Louis Rams and Indianapolis Colts, while in some mindsets is one of the more underrated running backs we have seen regarding the impact he made with his team.

Deion was a first ballot Hall of famer, recording 53 interceptions and 22 touchdowns in his 14-year career.

Marshall not only won a Super Bowl with the Rams but also finished 10th all time in rushing yards with 12,279 and had 136 touchdowns.

Despite the iconic football stars that did make the hall, the nation is in shock over three players that did not make the hall.

Receiver Cris Carter, running back Curtis Martin and Jerome Bettis highlight this year's Hall of Fame snubs.

Carter was known for his success with the Vikings, who had a great offensive unit in the late 90s.

For his career Carter has 1,101 receptions, 13,899 yards and 130 touchdowns. Many were surprised when Carter did not make the hall last year, but we assumed 2011 would be a lock for the current ESPN analyst.

The biggest surprise along with Carter seems to be Curtis Martin. Martin's bulk of his career came with the New York Jets, bringing excitement to the Empire State for plenty of years.

Martin is fourth all time with 14,101 rushing yards and 102 touchdowns. The issue regarding Martin could be the lack of a Super Bowl title, which Jerome Bettis does have.

Bettis will always be known for his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers, as he led the rushing attack of the Steel Curtain for most of his career.

He finished with 13,662 yards and 94 touchdowns and a Super Bowl ring to his credit.

Despite plenty of men who deserved to make the hall, these three men are left hoping for the chance of joining next year.

The football world is buzzing over the news; even players such as Larry Fitzgerald have made their opinion known on Twitter.

With the Super Bowl looming, the Hall of Fame announcement brings more buzz into arguably the most popular sporting event in America.

I am a NFL Featured Columnist for BleacherReport.com. Follow me on twitter: twitter.com/MattMiselis

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First off, I am not taking anything from the Packers, as this was the team I picked to represent the NFC back in August.

However, the performance of Jay Cutler is inexcusable. This is the same Cutler we have seen throughout his NFL career.

He has not proven to be a true leader of the Chicago Bears. Cutler continues to show no self-confidence when the game is going bad.

In the win over the Seattle Seahawks, I questioned the possibility of Cutler having the same success as he did on that day. Every quarterback is going to be positive and be gitty when they are winning and having success.

There is only a small group of quarterbacks who have proven to handle pressure and bring confidence among his teammates in crucial situations.

Cutler has not proved he can be a leader of a franchise. His old ways in Denver are continuing in Chicago. Cutler is pouting on the sidelines while the team is losing and shows no mental toughness on the field.

Today's loss to Green Bay was only the continuation of Cutler's immaturity this season.

More importantly, we are seeing Cutler's physical toughness coming into question, and rightfully so.

Despite injuring his knee in the second half, Cutler did not return to the game and forced Chicago to go through two quarterbacks.

We have seen quarterback Ben Roethlisberger play with a broken nose and a serious ankle injury.

Yet Cutler wanted no part of the field in the second half and was not willing to fight to the end with his teammates.

Chicago had a chance to make a comeback due to the play of third string quarterback Caleb Hanie.

Hanie made most of his opportunity in the game. Hanie showed command of the pocket, found open receivers down field and brought this team back within one touchdown.

On the final drive, Hanie brought the Bears within striking distance before throwing an interception and ending their season.

Despite the season not ending as hoped, the Chicago locker room earned plenty of respect for the young quarterback out of Colorado St.

The team bought into his determination to make an impact and now need to question their "leader" of this team.

Jay Cutler may have the physical tools to be a successful quarterback, but his inability to be the guy the locker room looks to should be an issue from the Bears front office.

Cutler does not show signs of being a winner, and it may be in the best interest of the organization to find a quarterback who can get this team over the hump by bringing a title back to this historic football city.

I am an NFL Featured Columnist for BleacherReport.com. Follow me on twitter: twitter.com/MattMiselis

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Despite struggling as a head coach, McDaniels proved to be an offensive mastermind in Denver.

He helped Kyle Orton put up Pro-Bowl numbers for the majority of the season, and helped with the development of Matt Cassel.

It also helps that he spent time running the offense with Tom Brady while in New England.

Here are a few reasons why McDaniels will help with the development of Sam Bradford.

I am an NFL Featured Columnist for BleacherReport.com. Follow me on twitter: twitter.com/MattMiselis

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