Colin Kaepernick vs. Cam Newton: It’s all about value

Trainer Chip Smith believes University of Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick is a superior prospect to Auburn quarterback Cam Newton, according to NFL Network's Jason La Canfora.

"They're a lot alike in terms of being really special, and they're both extremely athletic," said Smith, founder of Duluth, Ga.-based Competitive Edge Sports. "But Colin is actually a little bit better athletically. He's a little faster - I've clocked him as low as a 4.4 (in the 40-yard dash) - and there isn't a quarterback in this draft who throws the ball with the velocity that Colin does. Colin is a better athlete, and he understands the game better."

Smith has worked extensively with both Newton and Kaepernick.

Here's the most notable difference between the prospects: Some team will invest a high first-round pick in Newton, while Kaepernick will cost a team no more than an early second-rounder, save trading picks to get into position to acquire him.

Kaepernick is the smarter choice, and it has nothing to do with him necessarily being all that much better than Newton. The former Nevada passer is a comparable, if not better, prospect, and his drafting team doesn't absorb the financial risk or spend the costly draft pick when taking the gamble.

Newton is the type of prospect that can lead to heads rolling in the front office and coaching staff, whereas selecting Kaepernick would buy a team a little more leeway while he progresses.

Sometimes it's all about risk assessment, and NFL teams too often neglect to account for this.