Most elite quarterbacks become great because of their arms. Cam Newton’s biggest differentiator is his legs. Of course, the more he uses them, the more he puts himself in danger.

Considering the number of hits he took his first three years, the Panthers are fortunate their most-important player never missed a game. And while his status for the season opener in Tampa Bay is currently in question, it’s hard to see him sitting out.

The more-essential issue is how Newton can better protect himself going forward. Yes, he’s built like a tight end, but eventually, all bodies break down.

Just last Thursday, one day before he took the brunt of a linebacker’s weight to the ribs, the 25-year-old was asked if he would start sliding more. His response: “I’m not a sliding-type of guy.”

But suggesting Newton needs to learn how to slide isn’t necessarily a fail-safe. If he slid at the end of that scramble Friday night, he might not have injured a rib, but he could have tweaked his surgically repaired ankle. There are no injury-free guarantees for anyone who gets hit in the NFL, especially with as much frequency.

Earlier this summer, Football Outsiders broke down the rushing numbers of Newton and the league’s other mobile quarterbacks — San Francisco’s Colin Kaepernick, Seattle’s Russell Wilson, and Washington’s Robert Griffin III. Of the many take-aways, it’s obvious Newton takes more of a pounding than the others. He also isn’t a fan of playing it safe. See: ‘Ran out of bounds.’

	Newton	Kaepernick	Wilson	Griffin
Designed run % ('12-'13)	64.8%	44.65%	35.2%	54.45%
Total runs ('13)	110	106	89	83
Tackled - straight ('13)	42	22	18	19
Ran out of bounds ('13)	10	26	31	32
QB slide ('13)	21	31	14	9

The Panthers’ rebuilt and unproven offensive line adds another element of fear, and the preseason hasn’t necessarily inspired confidence. On 28 dropbacks against the Chiefs and Patriots, Newton was sacked five times. But for what it’s worth, according to Pro Football Focus, he had an average of 3.45 seconds to throw, the second-most time of all quarterbacks who have taken at least 20 dropbacks this preseason.

Ultimately, there are no easy answers solutions.

Newton’s not a typical NFL quarterback, but he’s not invincible.

He needs to be healthy, but he doesn’t present nearly the same threat if he’s not running.

How to maximize the reward and minimize the risk is now the biggest question the Panthers need to answer about the most-important player in their 20-year history.

---

BBR NUGGETS

• Sunday was full of all sorts of news. — BBR
• Thomas Davis’s son … unblockable. — Instagram
• Jimmy Clausen wins Bears backup job. — Chicago-Sun Times
• James Anderson gets cut by the Patriots. — MASS Live

---

---