Carolina Panthers: Norv Turner looks to help Cam Newton improve

Cam Newton is the beacon that guides the Carolina Panthers. If they are to reach the Super Bowl again it’s dependent upon his improvement in key ways.

The Carolina Panthers are looking to the future and the 2018 season is quickly approaching. As an organization, this team has seen varying degrees of success in recent years. Coming into this new season, the spotlight is shining the brightest on franchise quarterback, Cam Newton. In 2015 he signed a massive five-year deal. Now heading into the third season of that deal, many wonder if we’ve seen the best of Newton that he has to offer.

There isn’t any debate that Newton is a dynamic athlete that is a force on the offense. Teams know that just as much that he’s a threat to make a big pass down the field; he can tuck the ball to run for large gains as well.

In the last few seasons, it seems like opposing defenses have taken to a physical approach when dealing with Newton and in the eyes of many, that style has worked. This is why one of the most compelling storylines heading into the 2018 season is Newton’s improvement under new offensive coordinator Norv Turner.

Turner is coming into this role with a wealth of experience across varying levels of football. His coaching tree spreads far and wide across the NFL. In fact, current Panthers coach, Ron Rivera, is a product of said lineage in the league. This is why it will be interesting to see how Newton develops under this new leadership.

"“To me, Cam is one of the three or four — if not the hardest — guys to defend in the league,” Turner said as reported by David Newton of ESPN. “Coaches spend extra time when they play against Cam Newton because he can beat you in so many different ways. Our intention is to expand on those things that he can do well and things he may not have been exposed to yet.”"

Carolina has spent much of this offseason adding weapons around Newton on the offense. Torrey Smith, D.J. Moore and C.J. Anderson are just a few of the players that will join Newton, Christian McCaffrey, Devin Funchess and Greg Olsen on an offense that has had its moments of success. But the question continues to come back to Newton as he needs to improve in completing high percentage passes; an area where he’s struggled throughout his professional career.

"“I see Cam as a guy that can be in the mid- to high-60s in the completion percentage,” Turner said (via Newton on ESPN)."

This is an important goal for Newton. He’s obtained a completion percentage of at least 60 percent only twice in his career. The biggest issue is with Newton throwing interceptions in high pressure situations. He ended the 2017 season with 16 interceptions, second to only his rookie season where he threw 17.

Surrounding Newton with more capable teammates is one part of the solution; the other is making sure he has the ability to make the quick reads needed to get the ball away. This is another area in which Turner is looking to help the former Heisman trophy winner improve.

"“We’re working hard in terms of scheming and getting the ball out quick,” Turner said. “The more people you get around a quarterback that can make plays, the more opportunities he has to be productive.”"

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This is a big year for the Carolina Panthers and specifically Cam Newton. If he is to lead this team to a Super Bowl title, he has to not only return to form like that of the 2015 NFL MVP version of himself; but he must also do more to see the job through to the very end.