Carolina Panthers: Cam Newton
It’s a safe bet that Carolina’s season is going to come down to the health of Newton’s shoulder. The Panthers should be solid on defense, and they can ride Christian McCaffrey a little more than most teams can ride their starting running back. But that wasn’t enough to get them to the playoffs last season with Newton struggling to throw downfield because of his bad shoulder.
The NFC South could be just as competitive this season, so the Panthers need Newton to be back at full health. The fact that the Panthers used a 3rd-round pick on quarterback Will Grier could be a sign that the team isn’t fully convinced Newton will come back 100% after off-season surgery. If he ends up having the same problems throwing the ball he did a year ago, Carolina won’t survive life in the NFC South.