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Rivera reveals how close Panthers were to drafting Gabbert over Newton

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NFL Offseason Questions: Carolina Panthers

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It seems almost impossible to think about now, but there was a time when Cam Newton wasn't considered a lock to go No. 1 overall in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Five years ago, the Panthers had the No. 1 pick, and no one really seemed to know who they were going to take.

Some people thought that first-year coach Ron Rivera, who's specialty is defense, might take a defensive player. The Panthers had just spent a second-round pick on a quarterback in 2010 (Jimmy Clausen), so picking a quarterback wasn't an absolute necessity.