CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- While coach http://www.armacan.com/christian-mccaffrey-jersey-c-1_19.html Ron Rivera remained hopeful he will see Cam Newton throw overhand soon, the Carolina Panthers quarterback remained under trainers’ orders not to test his surgically repaired rotator cuff as the team’s mandatory three-day minicamp opened Tuesday.
Newton underwent surgery March 30 for the partially torn rotator cuff in his throwing shoulder. The target date at the onset for him to throw overhand would have been next week, although Rivera appeared to hold out some hope last week that Newton might get to test it during minicamp.
“He’s going to do exactly what the trainers have him do,” Rivera said Tuesday. “I am hopeful [he’ll throw overhand soon].”
Newton, the 2015 NFL MVP, went from playing in the Super Bowl to a 2016 season where he completed just 52.9 percent of his passes http://www.cinemakolik.com/christian-mccaffrey-jersey-c-1_2.html for 19 touchdowns with 14 interceptions as Carolina went 6-10 and failed to make the playoffs.
Panthers tight end Greg Olsen isn't worried about Newton and said the offense needs to focus on getting all of its free agents and rookies up to speed.
“Cam Newton, he’ll be ready,” Olsen said. “We have a lot of other things to worry about to get our team ready other than him. He’ll be fine.
“He’s done this before. He knows what he’s doing. We’ve got a lot of other things we need to piece together. He’ll be fine.”
While Carolina does return Olsen (80 receptions, 1,073 yards) and wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin (63 receptions, 941 yards), gone is the speedy Ted Ginn Jr. (54 receptions, 752 yards). The Panthers hope Devin Funchess has a breakout year, and in addition to several young receivers with limited experience, the Panthers drafted two players with the potential to be future Newton targets -- wide receiver Curtis Samuel, Thomas Davis Sr Kids Jersey a second-round pick from Ohio State, and first-round pick running back Christian McCaffrey out of Stanford.
“I don’t think anyone would say it’s ideal,” Olsen said about Newton being limited in drills. “It’s not his first time playing quarterback. Injuries are just part of this league unfortunately, and he’s done everything in his power that he’s allowed to do up until this point.
“When it’s time to take that next step, that will be the next big thing for him.”
Olsen said there is no reason not to be optimistic about Newton’s recovery.
“His attitude has been great, his demeanor -- he obviously is working hard, as he always does, to come back from it,” Olsen said. “He’s moving around really well. Hopefully that next step continues on that kind of trajectory.”
The entire offense will have to wait until the final day of minicamp to see McCaffrey, who cannot attend until Thursday because of the NFL rule requiring college players’ semester to end before participating in team drills. Stanford’s exams end Wednesday.
“Hopefully, once we get Christian out here, he’ll see how we’re trying to incorporate Christian in what we want to do,” Rivera Derek Anderson Jersey said about how Newton could use McCaffrey in the offense.