Amid the calls to better protect QBs, beware the unintended consequences

After the beating Cam Newton took last Thursday at the hands of the Broncos, renewed calls for the NFL to protect its quarterbacks are echoing throughout the league. The Ringer’s Kevin Clark did an excellent job this week presenting the challenge the league faces and why it should take immediate action.

But Roger Goodell should proceed cautiously, or his efforts could backfire.

Officiating chief Dean Blandino explained on NFL Total Access that the hits on Newton were legal because he was in a “running posture”—basically, he had become a running back and didn’t have the protection typically given to QBs in the pocket. Let’s say the NFL extends that pocket protection for quarterbacks to the…