Panthers look for back-up plan if Newton is out
Fangio interested in bringing along another Bears assistant
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Panthers are preparing for life without Cam Newton next season in case the team’s franchise quarterback can’t make it back from a lingering shoulder injury.
Panthers owner David Tepper said Tuesday that while the team is exhausting all options to make sure Newton’s throwing shoulder gets the medical attention he needs this offseason, it is important to “keep their options open.”
The hope, he said, is Newton will be healthy. However, it’s been 2½ weeks since Carolina’s season ended, and the team still doesn’t know if the 2015 league MVP will need surgery.
The Panthers have never said what the injury is — and Newton doesn’t know either.
“If you know what you might be facing next year, or not facing — hopefully Cam’s shoulder is fantastic and we’re hunky dory and we’re all happy — (but) if it’s not, you may need more cap space,” Tepper said. “You need to be able to go out and find somebody. If you don’t, (reporters) are going to be writing up what a dope we are here. Why didn’t we make these other moves?”
Newton struggled most of the season throwing the ball more than 15 yards downfield because of a lingering shoulder issue, partially stemming from surgery to repair a partially torn rotator cuff in 2017. The Panthers eventually shut him down with two games remaining after being eliminated from playoff contention.
BRONCOS: New head coach Vic Fangio isn’t just bringing his defensive philosophies from Chicago. He brought along outside linebackers coach Brandon Staley off the Bears’ staff and is interviewing Ed Donatell about becoming Denver’s defensive coordinator.
Donatell has spent the last four seasons as the Bears’ defensive backs coach, coinciding with Fangio’s stint as Chicago’s defensive coordinator before his hiring in Denver last week.
A former defensive coordinator in Green Bay and Atlanta, Donatell has twice coached the secondary in Denver, first for Mike Shanahan from 1995 to 1999 and again for Josh McDaniels in 2000.
Fangio, however, will make the defensive play calls himself. PRO BOWL: The coaching staffs of the Los Angeles Chargers and Dallas Cowboys have been selected to lead the Pro Bowl teams.
Anthony Lynn and his Chargers’ staff will coach the AFC team while Jason Garrett and his Cowboys’ staff coach the NFC team. COLTS: A person with knowledge of the situation said Indianapolis fired offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo.
DeGuglielmo took over an offensive line that allowed a league-high 56 sacks in 2017 and helped a young, revamped line that allowed a league-low 18 sacks in 2018.
DeGuglielmo was one of three coaches initially hired by Josh McDaniels last January before he changed his mind and returned to the Patriots. SUPER REF: Referee John Parry will lead the seven-person crew of on-field game officials working the Super Bowl in Atlanta on Feb. 3. This will be the third Super Bowl that Parry has worked.
The other members of the officiating crew for the game are Fred Bryan (umpire), Edgar Camp (down judge), Jeff Bergman (line judge), Steve Zimmer (field judge), Eugene Hall (side judge) and Terrence Miles (back judge).