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With quarterback Eli Manning and the Giants heading to the Super Bowl, the NFC Pro Bowl roster needs a replacement.

The Panthers have one ready.

The team has announced that quarterback Cam Newton will head to Hawaii to replace Eli. And that’s good news both for Newton and for the Panthers.

Already, the Panthers will have their pick of free agents, given the presence of a franchise quarterback who had the best rookie season of any quarterback in league history. Having Newton in the locker room and on the practice field and on the playing field in Honolulu will serve only to attract more veteran players who want to win to Charlotte.

The challenge for the Panthers will be to pick the right ones when the time comes to head to the market, and to resist the temptation to pay too much. Which the Panthers failed to do when signing free agents in 2011.