Cam Newton, Panthers' Struggles Extend Beyond Super Bowl Hangover Status

What the Carolina Panthers experienced during a 1-5 start to the season isn't a Super Bowl hangover. It stems from a flawed approach to building the roster. General manager Dave Gettleman emphasized certain positions over others, and his team is paying the price. 

Generally speaking, four positions are considered the foundation to every football team: quarterback, left tackle, pass-rusher and cornerback. The Panthers are lacking in three of those areas, and all of them became evident during the team's 41-38 loss to the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. 

Yes, the Panthers have Cam Newton, who is the reigning league MVP. He's Superman. But even Superman needs help from the Justice League on occasion when outnumbered and facing large threats. 

Carolina isn't giving Newton the kind of help necessary to experience the same type of success, and the squad became the first since the 2004 Panthers to start the season 1-5 after making it to the Super Bowl, according to NFL Network's Andrew Siciliano: 

The disappointing part is this could have been avoided to some degree. The organization entered this season with the fifth-most cap space, according to Over The Cap. Brandon Boykin, who has already been released, Gino Gradkowski, a backup offensive lineman, and veteran defensive tackle Paul Soliai, who is playing in a limited role, were the team's only offseason signings. They've had little to no impact with only 58 total snaps, according to ProFootballFocus. 

The Panthers' remaining space was originally earmarked for cornerback Josh Norman when the organization placed the franchise tag on him during the offseason. But Gettleman decided to rescind the tag instead of trying to iron out a long-term contract with the All-Pro cornerback. 

Carolina saved a lot of money, but it's paying the price for the decision. 

Secondary Problems

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In response to Norman's departure, Gettleman selected three cornerbacks in the NFL draft. 

According to Pro Football Focus, third-round pick Daryl Worley leads the team's cornerbacks in snaps, while second-round selection James Bradberry isn't far behind his classmate. 

To compound problems, the organization released Bene Benwikere after Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones exploded for 300 yards in Week 4. With the former starter no longer an option, the team promoted another rookie, Zack Sanchez, from the practice squad. 

Young players are going to make mistakes, and the team pays for those, too. For example, Sanchez bit on a double-move from wide receiver Brandin Cooks that resulted in an 87-yard touchdown. Here's the video, courtesy of the NFL Network on Twitter: 

Through six games, none of those rookies hold a positive grade from Pro Football Focus. In fact, the group has been historically bad, according to ESPN.com's Bill Barnwell: 

Saints quarterback Drew Brees completed 69.4 percent of his passes for 465 yards and four touchdowns two weeks after Matt Ryan threw for 503 yards and four touchdowns against the Panthers.

"[The Saints] did exploit some of our young guys, but you're talking about a Hall of Fame quarterback," head coach Ron Rivera said about the performance of his cornerbacks, per the Charlotte Oberver's Rick Bonnell.

The Panthers offense might be counted among the league's best, but it's nearly impossible to keep up with opponents when they're moving the ball with such ease.

Blind Spot for the Blind Side

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Another surprise offseason move came when the Panthers agreed to a three-year, $21.6 million contract extension with left tackle Michael Oher after a terrible performance in Super Bowl 50. 

Oher hasn't played well this season, and he's currently in the league's concussion protocol. As a result, the coaching staff moved Mike Remmers to the left side and inserted Daryl Williams at right tackle. 

This trio surrendered seven sacks, seven more quarterback hits and 31 hurries, according to Pro Football Focus. In fact, Remmers' 19 quarterback hurries are counted among the league's worst. 

Of course, Newton has taken a beating this year; his offensive tackles aren't playing well. 

The situation nearly got worse when Remmers needed to leave Sunday's contest, with Donald Hawkins as his replacement. Fortunately, the 27-year-old blocker returned to the lineup. 

The Panthers should receive good news for their Week 8 contest against the Arizona Cardinals. According to the Observer's Joseph Person, Oher is expected to return after the team's upcoming bye week. 

Even with Oher and Remmers back to their natural spots, both need to play better and keep Newton upright. The Panthers defense, meanwhile, needs to put more quarterback on their backsides. 

Problematic Pass Rush

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The Panthers defense is predicated on its front four creating space for its talented linebackers and putting pressure on opposing signal-callers.

As the secondary struggles, the team's defensive front isn't exactly helping things. Entering Sunday's contest, the Panthers tied for 14th in the league with 11 sacks. That's just over two sacks per game, and the defense fell right in line Sunday by getting to Brees once. 

None of the team's defensive linemen are counted among the league's top 40 in sacks. Veteran Charles Johnson has managed 13 quarterback hurries, but he's only been credited with half a sack. Kony Ealy hasn't built upon his sensational Super Bowl performance, either. Even standout defensive tackle Kawann Short, who finished last season with 11 sacks, only has one this season. 

Safety Tre Boston actually leads the way with two sacks. The team simply isn't getting as much pressure from its defensive line as it needs to be successful. 

Without that, the secondary struggles. If that continues, the defense will rarely get off the field, which means the Panthers' potent offense receives fewer opportunities. 

Bye-Week Blues

Newton doesn't handle losing well. After the 1-5 start, he bolted early after a short postgame press conference.

Has the dual-threat quarterback performed at his best this season? Absolutely not. But he's done more than enough to put his team in a position to win multiple games and still came up short. 

Newton can do it all with his legs and arm, but his presence only extends so far. The quarterback needs help from his blockers, defensive line and secondary for the Panthers to turn around what appears to be a lost season with each passing week. 

Carolina now has a week to regroup during its upcoming bye.

Aspirations of returning to last year's success have been dashed. A complete evaluation of the franchise is needed and starts at the top, since the team's problems have been caused by self-inflicted wounds.

Brent Sobleski covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @brentsobleski.