ASHBURN — Over the course of each offseason when Cam Newton was the face of the franchise, the Carolina Panthers’ brass would speak with their star quarterback to gauge his thoughts on upcoming free agents and draft prospects. They asked Newton what he wanted the team to address and asked him to evaluate their needs.
And while the Panthers didn’t always follow the quarterback’s advice, Carolina made it a priority to listen.
“When you are going to get into a position like that and you’re going to work with somebody, I think everybody should have a voice in something one way,” said Washington coach Ron Rivera, who spent eight-plus years with Newton in Carolina.