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Before Cam Newton came along, the Carolina Panthers were typically one of the more lackluster teams in the NFL to watch.
Outside of the occasional Steve Smith explosion and Julius Peppers jaw-dropping defensive play, the Panthers were primarily built around a strong defense and a solid running attack. It led to low-scoring games and a team that won its fair share of games, but Carolina wasn't exactly a trendsetter across the league.
Fast forward nearly a decade later, and the presence of Newton, combined with various other pieces added to the Panthers' roster, has turned Carolina into one of the more dynamic teams in the NFL (when things are clicking on all the right cylinders, such as in 2015).
But following this offseason, and the prominent offensive additions across the board by recently-fired general manager Dave Gettleman -- most notably running back Christian McCaffrey, wide receiver Curtis Samuel, and offensive tackle Matt Kalil -- it's clear the Panthers' offense is not only the most interesting part of their team in 2017, but it just might be the most intriguing offense to watch in the entire NFL. Already a gamebreaker on his lonesome, Newton now has -- on paper -- two of the more dynamic rookie threats in the NFL.
McCaffrey was a dominant playmaker in college. He could run, catch and return kicks as good as, if not better, than any player in the entire country. His hands are top-notch, and -- while his reps will be limited at the professional level compared to what he did in college -- the Panthers showed in his one minicamp practice that they aren't afraid to line him up in the slot and out wide, along with in the backfield.
Samuel, meanwhile, was one of the fastest players in the entire 2017 NFL Draft (a blazing 4.31 40-yard dash), and his versatility produced a second-round selection from the Panthers. The Ohio State product is expected to primarily work out of the slot, but he also was a dynamic running back and return man with the Buckeyes, roles he will reprise with the Panthers as well.
SportsLine projects both rookies to have an impact in their first season, and Samuel could easily blow these rushing numbers out of the water:
| RuAtt | RuYd | RuAvg | RuTD | Recpt | ReYd | ReAvg | ReTD | FP* | |
| Christian McCaffrey | 161 | 716 | 4.4 | 5 | 40 | 372 | 9.3 | 2 | 147 |
| Curtis Samuel | 2 | 16 | 8.0 | 0 | 44 | 686 | 15.6 | 4 | 93 |
*Fantasy points
Just the presences of McCaffrey and Samuel, combined with established playmakers like tight end Greg Olsen and wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin, gives Newton and offensive coordinator Mike Shula so much more room to work with. It will take linebackers away from doubling Olsen and safeties off Benjamin patrol, and force them to pay attention to McCaffrey and Samuel, both of whom can make plays all over the field.
But that's not all.
Carolina already has one of the best interior offensive lines in the game, led by center Ryan Kalil and pro bowl right guard Trai Turner. If left tackle Matt Kalil lives up to even part of his massive offseason payday and plays more like he did during the beginning of his pro career with the Vikings rather than his subpar production at the end, the Panthers will have one of the best blocking units in the game.
That just means more time for Newton to survey the field and find a McCaffrey or Olsen, or even a solid lower-tier receiver like free agent signees Russell Shepard or Charles Johnson, both of whom bring experience and more underrated playmaking ability to the fold.
A year after Newton completed a career-worst 53 percent of his passes, the goal is for the former MVP quarterback to take advantage of much easier throws in the flats or short across the middle more often to his new offensive personnel, and take some of the stress off his surgically-repaired right shoulder.
Shula made comparisons of the Panthers' future offensive vision to that of the New England Patriots earlier this offseason. While Carolina has yet to see it play out on the field, its new pieces certainly give the Panthers the look of one of the more dynamic offensive threats in the NFL heading into 2017.
