When Cam Newton first entered the NFL as the No. 1 overall draft pick to the Carolina Panthers, he was a bit of a novelty. The idea of the mobile, read-option quarterback was just beginning to take off and Newton was one of the first of its kind outside Michael Vick. Now, he is just part of the mainstream as quarterbacks like Russell Wilson and Robert Griffin III have emerged as league superstars. Newton is now trying to find that edge to put him above the newcomers. He is dropping weight and focused on the season ahead.
Newton appeared at OTAs having lost 12 pounds since the end of last season. He insists that it was a personal goal that he set for himself and not something the Panthers asked him to do.
"It was just a personal goal that I set for myself. I'm not going to go into what it really meant because looking at my body from afar you really can't tell. Being that I lost the weight, nobody really could tell, either. It's just me challenging myself to have an edge going into next season," Newton said.
Newton is now being compared to the other read-option quarterbacks. Speed and accuracy will be the one thing that gives him the edge against the others. Newton is taking himself off the ballad though when it comes to the fastest quarterback in the league. Vick is insisting he is the fastest, but Newton is not focused on that.
"I don't want to be the fastest quarterback, I just want to be the guy that can't be caught in the open field. Because if you get caught in the open field, that means you're not doing something right, and that will be talked about in the locker room," Newton said.
Newton has continued to help the Panthers improve in the last two seasons. Yes, they did go 7-9 in 2012, but overall Newton stayed on pace with his breakout rookie year. With receiver Steve Smith and tight end Greg Olsen, new offensive coordinator Mike Shula should be able to feast on the talent in Carolina's offense. Shula believes the sky is the limit for Newton in 2013 as long as he focuses on being a balanced quarterback.
Newton showed a greater amount of versatility last season, as the team varied from a read-option to a more pocket-passing offense. As long as Newton remains focused on improving, Carolina should have no problem delivering a better record in 2013.