Fear Cam
There will no sophomore slump. There will be no step back.
He probably won't start the season with a pair of 400-yard games, but the overall production of Cam will be better than last season, and next season it will be better than this season.
Some have already begun to predict that RGIII will have a better rookie campaign than Cam, but do not let these people fool you. As good as RGIII is, and sure he has some decent weapons around him, Cam is quite literally something that we have never seen before.
You are better off comparing RGIII to Vick, as their playing styles and body styles at least bear some resemblance. Cam on the other hand is something that the league has never seen.
He is his own wildcat. He is his own spread option. Unstoppable near the goal line as he makes it impossible to key on the sneak, pass or the run. Add bruising back Mike Tolbert to the mix this year to go with a pair of stars in DeAngelo and Stewart, it would get a little crazy in Carolina this year.
He is bigger than some of his linemen, and with a year of maturity under his belt, the sky is the absolute limit for Cam. He has an cannon for an arm, and Steve Smith reminded up what it is like when he has someone other than Jimmy Clausen throwing him the ball. Brandon LaFell is a year older and hopefully better suited with his role on the team.
Cam benefitted early in the season from the safety valve that is the double tight set, with Olsen and Shockey, but this year he will have just the former. However a new weapon recently arrived from Oakland in the form of Louis Murphy. Another burner that can be a weapon in whatever set up the Panthers decide to roll out.
The front office did the right this offseason, as they focused on not only getting more weapons for Cam, but adding protection for him. Small school wonder Aminu Silatolu is stepping in to start at left guard. Along with all word middle man Ryan Kalil and underrated bookend Jordan Gross, the left side of the line is a group of maulers that will make life a living hell for the opposition this year.
Imagine this scenario. Cam in the gun. Steve Smith out wide. LaFell on the opposite side. Olsen with his hand in the dirt. Louis Murphy motioning into the slot. Stewart and DeAngelo on either side of Cam. Who do you cover?
Any misdirection will leave any number of weapons open.
Then you get down near the goal line. Cam is damn near untouchable when he goes to the zone read. How about a fake pitch to DeAngelo and a dive with Tolbert up the middle?
Deadly.
Cam has admit that he was not the best teammate at times in his rookie year. Considering the whirlwind of a final season at Auburn and his much anticipated rookie campaign, this is not surprising. But he is a year older and has the reached a level of self-actualization to realize his imperfections. This can only be good.
The NFC South is sure to turned on its head compared to the season of last. The Bucs broke the bank for everyone that they could throw money at. The Saints had a tumultuous offseason to say the least. The Falcons are a post-hype team that could impress.
Carolina will be in tough against their divisional opponents this year, and while they have a year of tape on Cam, he too has a year of tape and experience against them. He will not be shocked when he is presented to new schemes and formations.
It was not a fluke. There will be no slump.
The prevent has also improved. As long as Jon Beason can stay on the field, and tackling machine Luke Kuechly can pick up the system in short order, it could be a much better group as a whole.
Do not be shocked if there are MVP whispers.
