The Carolina Panthers are ready to break out big this season and after Cam Newton had a great offseason of workouts, head coach Ron Rivera is ready to take the team to the next level.
After offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski bounced to Cleveland, the team brought in Mike Shula and one of the most interesting things about minicamp will be what he brings to the table. Newton is bigger and stronger than RGIII and he can hold up when he runs and he will be expected to do more in the passing game as the Panthers added a number of players in free agency behind Smith and LaFell. The team also is planning on getting more work for DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, as a balanced attack could really open things up for Newton.
Ron Rivera is looking to bolster the defensive line and the team likes what it has in their first two draft picks in Star Lotulelei and Kawann Short and adding that size should only help in that area. The wideout position will be the most interesting to watch, as the team has Domenik Hixon and Ted Ginn as free agents to join a number of players on the depth chart, including Kealoha Pilares, Armanti Edwards, David Gettis and Joe Adams and that should give Newton time to see who he vibes with the best, Hixon was an excellent third option during his time in New York and he could be the same in the NFC South.
On the line, defensive end Greg Hardy is expecting huge tings for himself and he said that he feels he can get 50 sacks. He has 18 in his career and after having 11 last season while teaming with defensive end Charles Johnson, who had 12.5 sacks, he feels that the team can drastically improve upfront. The team ranked 14th in rushing yards per game allowed and those numbers could improve with the size up front.
Newton was seen as a diva coming out of college and while that has come up at times during his NFL career, he has been doing a much better job at being a leader and that is one reason why he said that he hopes to be a team captain someday soon. According to the Charlotte Observer, Newton said in an interview that he hopes to earn the respect of the team to become a team captain and after a number of columns ripped him, some have rallied around and are hoping that Newton can turn things around.
Newton has been seen as a "mopey" player that can get down when things are going back and his maturity has been called into question multiple times after calling out his team after losses over the past two seasons. Now in his third season in the league, Newton feels that he is in the position where he can get to the point where he can be a team captain. Jordan Gross and receiver Steve Smith are offensive captains and if Newton doesn't start to shape up, it will be hard for him to take a leadership role with the team.
Newton wasn't asking for anything in the column and said he wanted to earn it and he was just simply answering a question when asked. The situation highlights a broader point for Newton and the Panthers and if he can get things together, the team could be scary this year. New ton was fantastic while wining rookie of the year after being the number one pick and while he regressed last season, many wondered if it was a sophomore slump or something more. Newton finished with 3869 yards passing and 19 touchdowns, down from last season, but he also added 741 yards rushing and eight touchdowns a year after scoring 14 and if he can cut down on turnovers and become more of a leader in the same vein that Tim Tebow is, Newton could be in for a big season and so will the Panthers.
The Panthers went 7-9 last season and while that isn't a great record, the team was off to a horrendous start, as was Newton and now they have some hope heading into 2013. Newton has nearly 4,000 yards passing and the team ranked 16th in passing and ninth in rushing yards per game.