Call it Operation Swag.
Cam Newton was not himself in 2016, and he knows it. What he’s trying to do in this Carolina Panthers training camp is return to the player and leader who was the NFL’s Most Valuable Player only two seasons ago.
“I’m just trying basically to get my swag back, get our swag back and just have fun,” Newton said Thursday.
There was not much fun to be had for the Panthers in 2016. Newton was hurt. His body – particularly his shoulder – was aching by the end of the season. His mind had a hard time comprehending that a Carolina team that went to the Super Bowl only a season earlier was going to wind up 6-10.