Cam Newton said he didn’t need to be part of the conversation about the league’s fastest quarterback, a title which Michael Vick thinks he still owns.
But Newton has tried to streamline himself regardless, dropping 12 pounds from last season, down to 243.
He joked Wednesday that he needed to double-check that number after eating wings last night, but said the weight loss wasn’t necessarily designed to increase his mobility.
“It was just a personal goal that I set for myself,” Newton said. “I’m not going to go into what it really meant because looking at my body from afar you really couldn’t tell, . . .
“It’s just me challenging myself to have an edge going into the season.”
In a perfect world, Newton would be running it less, not more this year anyway.
The Panthers’ offense improved last year when they got away from as much read option, and leaned toward a more traditional run game (for a team with many running backs, what a concept).
He’s still capable of big plays, and the Panthers should utilize him.
But keeping him upright and throwing will be more important to their success, and having him focused on improving as a quarterback (whether nutritionally or otherwise) can’t be viewed as a negative.