The Panthers have been confident that even though quarterback Cam Newton waited until March to have shoulder surgery, that he’d be ready for training camp.
He appears to be close to at least a small step in that direction.
According to Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer, Panthers coach Ron Rivera said Newton was likely to throw on the side during next week’s minicamp.
While that’s a far cry from actual throwing, it’s a sign that his surgically repaired throwing shoulder is responding well.
So far, Newton has been limited to mental reps during OTAs, and won’t be doing team drills during minicamp.
But they certainly need him up and running as soon as possible, since they’re tweaking their offense considerably. With the addition of Christian McCaffrey and Curtis Samuel, the Panthers are trying to evolve their passing game to feature more quick passes from Newton. That’s never necessarily been his strength, but they think it can give them a new element which could take some of the pressure off him, and keep him from needing to run as much as he has in the past.