By Will Brinson & Ryan Wilson

Warren Moon's NFL career spanned 17 seasons and included 9 Pro Bowls. In 2006, he was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He joins the podcast to discuss the St. Jude Warren Moon Hall of Fame Invitational Golf Tournament, a charity event that supports St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, a pediatric treatment and research facility that defines its mission as "…advancing cures, and means of prevention, for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. Consistent with the vision of our founder Danny Thomas, no child is denied treatment based on race, religion or a family's ability to pay."

Moon also talks Texans (playoff football in Houston!), Cam Newton's success, the 2012 quarterback draft class, and if Newton's success has made it easier for people to rank Robert Griffin highly.

Then Andy Benoit joins the show for his weekly Film Room segment. He breaks down whether the Lions and Raiders are fading, who's going to win the epic battle between Tim Tebow and Tom Brady, if the Chiefs and Dolphins can land good head coaches, how well Marshawn Lynch is running right now, if Houston's defense can continue to dominate without Wade Phillips, whether Eli Manning is "elite," and if the Giants are making a 2007-esque run. 

All right, let's get to it...

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Posted by Josh Katzowitz

You remember all the criticism heaped upon Cam Newton before the Panthers made him the No. 1 pick?

He was a one-year wonder, his learning curve would be steep, all he cares about his building a brand and being a big star. That was the talk leading up to the NFL draft. Of course, it all remains to be seen whether any of that is true, but that didn’t stop his advisor, Warren Moon, from declaring that the criticism had racial overtones.

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Said Moon nearly three months ago: “I’m not going to say it’s totally racial. I just think they just keep piling on. I don’t understand why they keep piling on. Because this is a guy that’s a very special talent that has done some very special things and they just keep trying to cut up every part of his game. There’s no way a guy could be as successful as he’s been whatever level that he’s been on and have all these different flaws that they’re talking about right now.”

In the latest edition of GQ, Newton was asked if he felt like he had been targeted by detractors a bit more because he is black. Newton took a different tact than Moon.

"Sir, it all comes down to whether a person wins or loses," Newton said, via NFL.com. "I don't bring race into the game, 'cause then you're talking about excuses. I. Hate. Excuses. Excuses are a disease."

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Posted by Josh Katzowitz

I did a radio show in Edmonton tonight, and the hosts asked me if I thought Cam Newton was a safe bet to go No. 1 to the Panthers.

I said that even though we hear different scenarios all the time (Carolina could trade out of the top spot, the Panthers could take somebody else or they could grab Newton, and all have valid points why they might be true), I told the hosts that I figured it was a pretty good bet Newton would hear his name called first.

Former Oilers QB Warren Moon – and one of Newton’s advisors – agrees with that assessment.

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He told 620 KTAR in Arizona today (via Pro Football Talk) that he’s 90 percent sure Carolina will take Newton.

And not even Newton knows for sure. After all, with the lockout dragging on, it’s not like the two sides could begin negotiating with each other for the top spot.

Moon said the Panthers are playing their pick “close to the vest.”

Which makes pretty good fodder to talk – and write blog posts – about. And luckily, we’ll have our answer in less than 24 hours.

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Posted by Andy Benoit

The comments Warren Moon made about Cam Newton to CBSSports.com’s Mike Freeman have caused quite a stir. Not surprisingly, Moon has been pressed for follow-ups.

On Friday, the Hall of Fame quarterback appeared on KTAR in Phoenix. He was asked to elaborate on his thoughts of criticism towards Newton.

“I just think it has racial overtones,” Moon said, via Pro Football Talk. “I’m not going to say it’s totally racial. I just think they just keep piling on. I don’t understand why they keep piling on. Because this is a guy that’s a very special talent that has done some very special things and they just keep trying to cut up every part of his game. There’s no way a guy could be as successful as he’s been whatever level that he’s been on and have all these different flaws that they’re talking about right now.

He went on.

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“It really baffles my mind to come out with all these different things that they’re talking about. How come they’re not talking to his offensive coordinator or they’re not talking to his head coach or they’re not talking to players on his football team? They’re talking to general managers who probably had 15 minutes with him inside of a room at the combine but they’re not talking to the people that were with him every day of his career at the University of Auburn to get their sense of what type of person that he is. And those are the people that I’ve talked to about Cam Newton. I’m not only going off of what I know of Cam as far as the time that I’ve been around him, I’m going off of what I’ve talked and asked questions about myself.”

Moon acknowledged that Newton made a poor choice in saying he wanted to be an icon. (Newton has since made it clear that his focus is first and foremost on football.) He also said he believes Newton is the best quarterback in the 2011 Draft.

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Posted by Will Brinson



Got a link for the Hot Routes? Hit us up on Twitter (@CBSSportsNFL) .

• In case you didn't read it, Jason Whitlock of FOX Sports called Todd Haley "the biggest fraud in football." Well, "quite possibly the biggest fraud in football" anyway. That's a bold statement from a guy who knows KC pretty well. 

• Jerome Solomon of the Houston Chronicle  wonders if Wade Phillips actually IS the guy that the Texans should hire for defensive coordinator, offering up the suggestion of Mike Trgovac instead.

• Did Charlie Weis really try and get Notre Dame to hire Will Muschamp and retain Weis as an offensive coordinator instead of firing him ? If so, that's crazy fascinating.

• Mike Smith is apparently a big Allman Brothers fan . I have no idea why, but I find that to be strangely fantastic.

• The Ravens are using a Lou Holtz motto (no, not "Sufferin Suckatash!") to help guide them through the playoffs. WIN.

• Darren Rovell breaks down Harbaugh's decision (college or pro) from a biz perspective .

• Is Ben Roethlisberger engaged? He's not telling if he is .

• Gale Sayers believes Devin Hester belongs in the Hall of Fame .

• Mile High Report's latest mock draft has the Broncos conceded to drafting defense. And a lot of it.

• Warren Moon wants to know who's mentoring Vince Young. Come to think of it, that's a pretty good question.