Greg Olsen refutes Kelvin Benjamin’s comments, says Cam Newton is the best thing to happen to his career
Former Panthers wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin doesn’t think much of Cam Newton as a quarterback, but current Carolina tight end Greg Olsen disagrees.
Cam Newton may not be the most accurate passer in the NFL, but that doesn’t mean his receivers don’t really appreciate his talents. Whereas Kelvin Benjamin blames Newton for failing to get him the ball during his time in Carolina, tight end Greg Olsen has a much different point of view.
In fact, the Pro Bowl tight end calls Newton “the best” thing to happen to his career, via NFL.com. No one should be surprised Olsen has good things to say about his strong-armed quarterback. He put up three 1,000-plus yard seasons in a row before injuries limited him to just seven games last season. His return to full health is expected to be a big boost to the Panthers offense in 2018.
Olsen got the chance to talk about Newton in response to Benjamin’s negative comments about the Pro Bowl quarterback. The current Bills wideout told reporters that being drafted by the Panthers was a “bad fit from the get-go.” That attitude is likely a big reason the Panthers chose to ship Benjamin up north last season without an obvious replacement on the roster.
For what it’s worth, Olsen thinks Benjamin’s opinion is in the minority. He believes that “countless other guys” have benefitted from having Newton as their quarterback. The veteran tight end encouraged Benjamin to focus on his new opportunities in Buffalo rather than spending time talking about his time with the Panthers.
In fairness to Benjamin, Newton is not the league’s most accurate passer. A big reason the Panthers brought in Norv Turner to be his offensive coordinator this season was an effort to increase Newton’s completion percentage. The former Auburn star has a massive arm that can push the ball down the field, but he sometimes struggles to put the easier throws right where receivers would like.
Next. 5 bold predictions for the Panthers in 2018. dark
The important thing for Newton is to make sure Olsen and the rest of his current receivers have faith in his ability to lead the offense down the field. If the prolific tight end’s opinion is any indication, he has the full confidence of his current teammates.