Cam Newton has been uncorking deep balls in practice

Cam Newton was experiencing so much discomfort in his shoulder late last season that he was unable to complete much more than a short pass, but all indications are he is feeling significantly better with Week 1 less than a month away.

Newton underwent arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder back in January, and his rehab appears to be going very well. In fact, Brendan Marks of the Charlotte Observer mentioned this week that his biggest surprise from training camp is the way Newton has been able to connect with his wide receivers on deep passes. He has been throwing the ball with regularity at least 35-40 yards in the air and delivering it accurately.

That is a tremendous sign for the Panthers. Newton threw just two touchdowns compared to six interceptions in the final three games he played in last year before being shut down. He revealed after the season just how badly he was limited by the shoulder injury, so it would go a long way toward getting Carolina back on track this season if he is pain-free.

Newton has said he is still a “work in progress,” but there has been no talk of him having a setback or experiencing any pain. If he enters the season 100 percent healthy, the Panthers could have one of the more dangerous offenses in the NFC. Christian McCaffrey proved last year that he is capable of being a workhorse, and wide receiver Curtis Samuel is said to be having an outstanding camp. Carolina is in a good position to take some teams by surprise.