He Has More Weapons Than Ever
One of the major knocks on the Panthers, especially in recent years, has been their inability to surround Newton with viable weapons. But that certainly isn’t the case this year.
Not only is veteran tight end Greg Olsen back at full health after missing much of last season with a broken foot, but the Panthers have also brought several new pass catchers into the fold. One of them is rookie tight end Ian Thomas, who will serve as Olsen’s understudy after he was taken in the fourth round of the NFL draft.
Devin Funchess is once again expected to be the team’s No. 1 wide receiver, a role he moved into after the Panthers traded Kelvin Benjamin to the Buffalo Bills during the 2017 season. Meanwhile, former Maryland receiver D.J. Moore was selected in the first round of the NFL draft, Torrey Smith was acquired in an offseason trade with the Philadelphia Eagles, and Jarius Wright was signed in free agency. They join Curtis Samuel and Damiere Byrd, a pair of speedsters who finished last year on injured reserve.
Running back Christian McCaffrey also returns for Carolina after a solid rookie season. While the former Stanford standout averaged just 3.7 yards per carry, he led the Panthers in receptions (80) and was second on the team with 651 receiving yards.
Joining McCaffrey in the backfield is C.J. Anderson, who signed a one-year contract with the Panthers in May after amassing 3,051 yards and 20 TDs on 693 carries in 58 games for the Denver Broncos. Although similar to former Panther Jonathan Stewart in running style, he’s four years younger and coming off the first 1,000-yard season of his five-year career.
With all of those offensive weapons, Newton should have no problem spreading the ball around in 2018.
Next Up: Reason No. 2
