Cam Newton has a new friend. The Panthers quarterback walked to practice on Wednesday joking with receiver Stephen Hill, who was signed to the practice squad on Tuesday.The 2012 second-round pick was released by the Jets on Saturday after two disappointing seasons. But the Panthers are still receiver-needy, so using a practice squad spot to pick up Hill was a low risk, potentially high reward move.After walking into practice with Newton, Hill stretched while talking with receivers Kelvin Benjamin, Jerricho Cotchery, Jason Avant, Brenton Bersin and PhillyBrown. If the Panthers eventually promote Hill from the practice squad, he could knock a guy like Bersin off the active 53-man roster.Newton, who is expected to start Sunday despite cracked ribs, was again wearing a bigger flak jacket with extra padding. When loud music turned on during the team’s stretching period, he danced around a bit. But he may not be feeling as good as it initially appeared, as he didn’t throw to receivers during group drills.