Carolina Panthers: Cam Newton has an impressive day of training camp

The Carolina Panthers quarterback looked impressive on Thursday.

Any questions about whether Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton would be affected by his shoulder during Thursday’s training camp practice were quickly answered. On several throws Thursday, Newton looked extremely comfortable. It is certainly an encouraging sign for a player who had surgery just six months ago. Now, the next step is to test it during a game.

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He looked comfortable throwing the ball, and he didn’t look too tentative. He was working with wide receiver D.J. Moore, and it looked like nothing was of concern. Obviously, this is a situation that should be monitored over the next couple of days, but it is a good first start for a team who desperately needs their star quarterback to be healthy. With a revamped offensive line and a slew of new weapons, the fact that Newton looks as comfortable is encouraging.

His arm was certainly tested on Thursday, as he threw a deep ball to Moore that looked exactly like the Cam Newton we would expect. By looking at that throw, it is apparent that he does not have as much rust as maybe I thought he would. For now, it is probably going to be a question of getting him wraps and testing out that arm with different throws and at different speeds for snapping the ball. Especially noteworthy was the fact that Moore was taking reps with the first team. What we saw on Thursday could be an indication of things to come.

This is certainly a great first step in what is going to be a trying couple of weeks. As the health of Cam Newton starts to shift into focus with the start of training camp, both player and team are going to be under a microscope. I would definitely prepare for some setbacks. That happens more often than not when it comes to rehabbing and getting back to form. However, it is great to see him up and throwing.

It will be interesting to see how he progresses throughout the rest of training camp. He definitely has his work cut out for him as he tries to get back to an elite level. As we saw Thursday, he has the potential to do so. Now, it is just about maintaining that ability to get to that level. If Newton can return to form, the rest of the National Football League should definitely be worried. In particular, should Newton return to form, the NFC South would certainly have to game plan a little extra for Carolina.