SPARTANBURG Cheap Greg Little Jersey , S.C. (AP) —mp following offseason shoulder surgery, Panthers coach Ron Rivera said the team’s training staff will closely monitor the quarterback’s reps, and coaches will script his plays daily.“We have a plan,” Rivera said Wednesday. “Obviously it will be structured around our installation. So the things that we have going on with our install will dictate what he does.”The Panthers arrived at Wofford College for their 25th training camp with plenty of questions, not the least of which is the status of Newton’s right shoulder. It became problematic last season, limiting the 2015 league MVP from throwing more than 20 yards downfield.When the Panthers needed to throw a Hail Mary pass, Newton was subbed out.The 30-year-old Newton sat out the last two games of the season after the Panthers were eliminated from playoff contention. He had arthroscopic surgery in January.When asked if there will be any restrictions on how far Newton can throw the football, Rivera said, “well, we will see.“We believe he is ready to roll,” Rivera added. “He had a good offseason. He had a good break Terry Godwin Carolina Panthers Jersey , from what we are told. Again, the proof is in the pudding.”Newton’s rehab hardly is the only question the Panthers have following a 7-9 season. Personnel issues abound with several key veterans gone.Defensive end Julius Peppers and center Ryan Kalil retired, linebacker Thomas Davis wasn’t re-signed, and the team released cornerback Captain Munnerlyn. Between them they had played 43 seasons for Carolina.Middle linebacker Luke Kuechly said it’s strange not having them around, particularly his good buddy Davis, who spent 14 seasons with Carolina before signing this offseason with the Los Angeles Chargers.“It will give me a team in the AFC to root for,” Kuechly said. “I’m going to miss having him here; we’re all going to miss having him. But that is just kind of how the game goes and guys understand that.”Rivera said replacing that experience won’t be easy.The team drafted Brian Burns as an edge rusher to help fill the void left by Peppers, and signed free agent Matt Paradis from Denver to take Kalil’s spot. Longtime linebacker-in-waiting Shaq Thompson takes over for Davis, while the team is still looking for a nickel back to replace Munnerlyn. Free safety is another position up for grabs.Also, the offensive line will need to mesh, with Paradis taking over at center and second-round pick Greg Little expected to start right away at left tackle.“We have a lot of new moving parts Blue Terry Godwin Jersey ,” Rivera said. “We lost some savvy veterans who have been around for a long time and they have moved on. So we have some guys who have to step up.”There is also the matter of keeping Greg Olsen healthy. Olsen is the only tight end in NFL history with three straight 1,000-yard seasons, but the three-time Pro Bowler missed 16 games over the past two years after twice breaking his foot. That ended a streak of 144 straight NFL games played.Olsen said he’s been “100 percent (healthy) for months,” adding that his training regimen has been extremely productive.But the 12-year NFL veteran acknowledged the uncertainty that the future holds, saying “I’ve yet to find anything that prevents broken bones. So if you know of anything, let me know.”Carolina did get one major question answered Wednesday as Burns, the team’s first-round draft pick, signed a four-year contract with a team option for a fifth season. That means all of Carolina’s draft picks will be ready to go when practice begins Thursday night.Burns, selected No. 16 overall, was one of three NFL first-round picks who had not yet signed.__ Having a stronger backup plan for Cam Newton is good, but the Panthers could’ve done better at the end of the third round"WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Keep Sounding PodcastPanthers 2019 NFL DraftCSR Film RoomPanthers 2019 NFL DraftWhy the Carolina Panthers shouldn’t have taken a backup quarterback with pick No. 100New Terry Godwin Carolina Panthers Jersey ,471commentsHaving a stronger backup plan for Cam Newton is good, but the Panthers could’ve done better at the end of the third roundEDTShareTweetShareShareWhy the Carolina Panthers shouldn’t have taken a backup quarterback with pick No. 100Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY SportsLet me just say this up front, I hope Will Grier is awesome. He’s a Panther now so he’s part of my football family and I’m rooting for him. I hope he has a long and successful NFL career. That said, I believe the Panthers made a potentially costly mistake by investing the No. 100 pick in a backup quarterback. Again, this isn’t a shot at Will Grier. I would’ve made the same comment whether Carolina selected Grier or any other quarterback still left on the board. This is about the position, not the person. Here’s why:Roster gapsWhile Marty Hurney deserves a lot of credit for making smart moves in free agency and pulling off a seemingly strong draft, the Panthers roster still has holes at several positions. A capable rookie at a number of positions could have seen meaningful snaps in 2019 and beyond. The only way Grier will play is if Cam Newton is too injured to take the field. Let’s take a look at a sample of who the Panthers could have selected at No. 100 with draft grades and information from CBS Sports, Walter Football (WF), and NFL.com: Players available at No. 100NamePosDraft No. CBSWFNFL GradeNFL.com ProjectionNamePosDraft No. CBSWFNFL GradeNFL.com ProjectionWhile having a backup plan for Cam Newton is a good thing, no doubt, finding a potential starter at a position of need would have been more valuable. Maximizing the value of rookie contractsCap hits for players drafted around No. 100 are like manna sent from the football heavens. In 2018 the Panthers drafted tight end Ian Thomas at No. 101 and signed him to a four-year Youth Terry Godwin Jersey , $3.2 million contract. Thomas exceeded expectations as a rookie and looks like a promising player. His cap hit in 2021, his fourth NFL season, will be a paltry $937,000. It’s not uncommon for players drafted around pick No. 100 to be situational contributors in their first couple of seasons then develop into quality depth or even starters. The Panthers saw this with tackle Daryl Williams who was drafted at No. 102 in 2015. After starting two games as a rookie he went on to start 10 games in 2016, then he became a second team All-Pro impact player in 2017 before getting derailed by injury.Teams that draft well around No. 100 get four years worth of weekly contributions at cap hits below $1 million. That’s as good of value as the NFL has to offer. The Panthers have probably wasted this week-in, week-out salary cap value by drafting a backup quarterback. Historical failure of quarterbacks drafted near No. 100Now, Cam Newton may not be healthy and it is possible Will Grier gets some starts next year. On top of that, Cam’s contract will also be up after the 2020 season so drafting Grier can help hedge against losing Cam in free agency, but then again it’s rare for players drafted near No. 100 to develop into franchise quarterbacks. If Grier was viewed as a franchise quarterback by even a handful of teams, there’s no way he would’ve fallen to the end of the third round. Based on data from Football Reference, a total of 20 quarterbacks were drafted between No. 85 and No. 115 (so No. 100 plus or minus 15) between 2005 and 2016. We’ll exclude players drafted in 2017 and 2018 due to their limited opportunities thus far. Click here for the full list. The top end of these 20 quarterbacks are Kyle Orton Blue Michael Palardy Jersey , Kirk Cousins, Nick Foles, Trent Edwards, and Colt McCoy. That’s the best case scenario based on recent history. On the other hand, 11 of these 20 players have started seven games or less in their careers which includes six players who are out of the NFL. The best approximation of the “average” quarterback drafted somewhere near No. 100 is a hybrid of Brodie Croyle, Matt Barkley, and Landry Jones. I’d trade a shot at a starting player at a position of need over those mediocre backup quarterbacks in a heartbeat. Again, I want Will Grier to succeed. I hope he defies the odds and becomes a solid NFL quarterback. The Panthers needed a better succession plan for Cam Newton than they had before the draft, but using a late third round pick as in insurance policy is an awfully high premium to pay.