Carolina Panthers: 4 Ways They Should Build Around Cam Newton

The Carolina Panthers rookie quarterback Cam Newton has been wildly successful, as an individual this season. But individual greatness does not a dominant team make, as evidenced by Carolina's 2-8 record through 11 weeks.

However, Newton's impressive play certainly provides the Panthers with something that few other teams in the NFL can boast—a truly dynamic starting quarterback worthy of building a team around.

With that in mind, the following slides detail four ways the Panthers can improve their team in order to get the best out of their quarterback and become a true contender in the difficult NFC South division.

More Variety at Wide Receiver

While quarterback Cam Newton's reputation was built on his ability to make plays with his feet—and he certainly does—as a professional quarterback, his arm strength and accuracy came under question prior to the start of his rookie season.

Newton has proven that he's just as dangerous in the air as he is on the ground with 2,885 passing yards so far this year, with 12 touchdowns and 14 interceptions for his efforts.

While that interception number should decrease as he gains more experience, what he needs more than anything to elevate his passing game is a stronger corps of wide receivers.

Newton has completed passes to just nine teammates this season, but only five of them are dedicated wide receivers.

Instead, he's relying more and more on throwing to running backs Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams and tight ends Jeremy Shockey and Greg Olsen while veteran Steve Smith has proved to be his best option when it comes to wide receivers.

Smith has seen a statistical resurgence with Newton at quarterback, and he's certainly a valuable commodity worthy of sticking around. But fellow receivers Legedu Naanee, Brandon LaFell, Armanti Edwards and Seyi Ajirotutu are also-rans and not reliable starters.

A priority in this year's draft should be picking up fast, sure-handed receivers augmented with a veteran free agency acquisition. First and foremost, if the Panthers want to improve, Newton needs receivers as dynamic as he is a quarterback.

Better Protection from His Offensive Line

While the Carolina Panthers' offensive line might be an otherwise solid group of players, a mobile quarterback such as Cam Newton provides added difficulty to what is already a tough job.

With the overall 18th-ranked offensive line in the league (17th in pass protection), a lot of Newton's poor decision-making can be attributed, in part, to not having the necessary amount of time to make the right throw. Heading into this week's game, Newton has also been sacked 22 times.

For Newton to be fully effective, he needs protection. Upgrades are necessary at offensive line; with more time in the passing game and better blocking on the ground, Newton's already impressive stats should only get more ridiculous next season.

1 Truly Solid Running Back

A good running back makes all the difference for a quarterback, and with the two available to Cam Newton not powerful enough on the ground to reliably produce week after week, the Panthers need to find someone who can.

Granted, Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams both have their strengths and they both provide specific advantages, especially in the passing game. Neither need to be cut from the roster, but they do need to be augmented by someone faster, younger and more dynamic, someone in a dedicated running role.

And that doesn't mean Newton himself. Though he has 411 yards on the ground and nine touchdowns for his troubles, as defenses become more and more keyed in to his running style, he could be exposed to bigger hits, increasing the possibility of injury.

Though Newton has a significant advantage by being so mobile, someone who can gain four or 4.5 yards per carry would take the pressure off of Newton to do everything for his offense.

Serious Improvements on Defense

Though injuries are responsible for some of the Carolina Panthers' defensive woes, they don't account for every reason why the team fields the league's 29th-ranked defense.

While wide receiver depth is clearly a pressing issue for the team, improvement on defense is the single most important thing Cam Newton needs to make his team a contender with him at the helm.

Aside from the team's Week 3 16-10 win over the offensively-challenged Jacksonville Jaguars, the Panthers' defense has allowed no fewer than 24 points in the team's other nine games, forcing Newton to throw and throw some more, make mistakes and abandon the run.

No matter how good the quarterback, it's hard to overcome the kinds of deficits the Panthers' defense puts the whole team into.

Yes, Tom Brady's New England Patriots, Drew Brees' New Orleans Saints and Aaron Rodgers' Green Bay Packers are all weaker on defense than they are on offense, but none of those teams are as glaringly imbalanced as Newton's Panthers.

While I'm not saying just yet that Newton is as dominant a quarterback as those three elite passers are, it's certain that he will never reach those heights with a defense like the one his team has now.

Improving the defense is priority No. 1; once that issue is solved, the team's remaining problems won't seem so daunting.