Good news: Quarterback Cam Newton's surgically repaired ankle is getting better.
Bad news (temporarily, anyway): He's not completely healthy and he wants to make that clear as the Panthers begin training camp.
''I can't stress enough that I'm not 100 percent yet,'' Newton said, according to the Associated Press, adding: ''It's just going to take treatment and time."
More good news: Newton's rehab is right on schedule, which means he should be good to go when the regular season commences in six weeks. In the meantime, Panthers coach Ron Rivera said the plan is to take it slow, but conceded that he was happy to see Newton on the field -- even if it's in a limited capacity.
Newton has finished in the top 4 in each of his three NFL seasons, but his PPG has dropped from 22.9 to 20.6 to 18.7 in that same span. He was unable to do much at OTAs due to his surgically repaired ankle, but threw with his new receiving corps before training camp. He should still be a solid QB1 given his ability to run the ball, but there are several red flags heading into the season.
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