It seemed fairly benign last week, when Panthers coach Ron Rivera said quarterback Cam Newton had “an awful lot of room to grow.”
But when some interpreted that as Rivera somehow criticizing Newton, the Panthers coach felt compelled to clarify himself.
“I’m not putting anybody on blast, I’m just challenging him that he can become a better football player,” Rivera said, via Bill Voth of Black and Blue Review. “I think he’s such a dynamic football player athletically and mentally, that every time he gets out there, he can improve and become better.”
Rivera can get a little sensitive when it comes to any perceived criticism of his quarterback, but it’s at least good to know that the 54-year-old Rivera has stayed in touch with the current slang.
Even though he was the league’s MVP, and led the NFL with 45 total touchdowns last season, there’s still clearly room for Newton to grow as a passer. Maybe that’s why some thought last week’s Rivera comments were more critical than the coach ever intended.
But Newton may never be the high-percentage passer some want, primarily because the Panthers have tailored the offense to suit him, which includes going for chunk plays downfield rather than a bunch of safer, easier-to-complete-a-lot-of passes.
“Last year we talked about developing certain throws and he did that. Can he develop and get better physically? Yes. I think it’s his skill set. I know they constantly work on his technique, his footwork, his delivery. You work on the mental aspect as well,” Rivera said. “The one thing I’m hoping for, too, is that he continues to develop that rapport. He’s got a great feel with Greg Olsen; he’s got a great feel with Teddy Ginn. He’s developing that with Devin Funchess, and again with Kelvin [Benjamin] back here, it will be great to see him work with Kelvin.”
Newton wasn’t able to throw to Benjamin yesterday, as the wideout coming back from an ACL tear was excused from practice. But their continued growth ought to keep the Panthers improving offensively, even if there’s little margin for improvement on a team that went 15-1 last year.