Cam Newton doesn't care what number he wears this season. Newton said that he doesn't really have much interest in No. 2. Not that Jimmy Clausen is going to give away his job or his number anytime soon.
Newton appeared last weekend wearing No. 00 at a rookie event, but don't read anything into that.
That is why I will offer my services to join Newton's ever-growing list of handlers and advisers. Consider me his ambassador to number relations. Because this is one of my areas of expertise. Seriously, it takes me an hour to pick a number when creating myself on "Madden" (though only moments to put my speed at 99).
My first order of business for Newton - picking a number for him. Here is the best list of numbers for a quarterback to wear. (And most of these numbers are likely taken by the Panthers, so you might have to break out some of that signing bonus -- or get an Auburn booster to help you out -- to obtain the number.)
6. No. 8
The number reached its dizzying heights during the 1990s when Steve Young and Troy Aikman battled for the top spot in the NFL and who wore No. 8 the best (Aikman for the record). Two of the best current No. 8s are Matt Hasselbeck and Matt Schaub. So unless your name is Matt, you might consider a different number.
5. No. 16
Two of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history -- Joe Montana and Len Dawson -- wore the number and even the taint of Ryan Leaf couldn't ruin it. In fact, Montana had to switch from his familiar number to No. 19 when he joined the Chiefs at the end of his career. At least Montana didn't make Dawson take the number out of the rafters.
4. No. 13
This number is not for the superstitious, but it was worn by a Hall of Fame quarterback (Dan Marino) and sure-fire Hall of Fame quarterback (Kurt Warner). And Jared Lorenzen! Well, maybe we can forget about him (thankfully he switched to this number).
3. No. 7
John Elway is probably the most famed No. 7 in NFL history, though it has been worn by Dan Pastorini and Bert Jones. Currently, Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger is making it work for him. And hey, our Dave Dameshek says that Newton closely resembles Roethlisberger. David Klingler once thought it would make him better to switch from No. 15 to No. 7. Nope, didn't help.
2. No. 12
If there is a royalty among NFL quarterback numbers, it has to be this number. Just think of the roster ... Joe Namath, Terry Bradshaw, Roger Staubach, Ken Stabler, Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers. Wear the No. 12 and you are almost destined for greatness. Unless you are Jim Sorgi.
1. Make your own legacy
There is something to be said about making a number your own. Like Brett Favre did with the No. 4. So, what about No. 2? Oh wait, that's how we got into this mess. Take No. 3 and make it an iconic number. Get it, iconic?
