Cam Newton

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton passes against the Arizona Cardinals in the first half of an NFL playoff game in Charlotte, N.C., on Jan. 3, 2015.

(AP Photo)

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton has been selected for the Pro Bowl twice in the past four seasons. During that time, Carolina has gone from being bad enough to hold the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft, which it used on Auburn's 2010 Heisman Trophy winner, to capturing the NFC South title the past two seasons.

But Carolina coach Ron Rivera said Newton can get better by concentrating on his throwing fundamentals, and he's looking forward to seeing that happen in the 2015 season.

"I do expect to see him take another step as he continues to work on his position-specific skills and techniques," Rivera said during his breakfast with reporters at the NFL's annual meeting this week. "He relies so much on his great athleticism that sometimes he's not as sound as he needs to be with his fundamentals. That's the next step."

Newton came into the 2014 season after being slowed in the offseason by ankle surgery. He suffered a rib fracture in a preseason game, hurt his back in a traffic accident in December and missed two games last season.

"I think all the adversity has helped him, and I'm excited to see him when we get started in the offseason," Rivera said. "I think he'll be ready to take another step."

Among the 33 quarterbacks who threw enough passes to qualify, Newton's 82.1 passer rating ranked 26th in the NFL in 2014. However, Newton posted his two highest ratings in games that Carolina had to win in December to stay in the playoff race, and he had the best fourth-quarter passer rating in the NFC for quarterbacks with more than 50 passes in the period during 2014.

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Newton's "great athleticism" makes him more than a passer. In his four seasons in the NFL, Newton has rushed for 2,571 yards, more than any other quarterback. Even with his injuries last season, Newton ranked third among the NFL's quarterbacks with 539 rushing yards.

"He's still a target, and he does get hurt," Rivera said. "Again, we don't necessarily want him to run as much as he does on his own. The things we do (in the running game), we try to control. But that's the type of competitor he is. He's trying to look for ways to extend plays and make plays happen."

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Newton has compiled a 14-3 record in December as Carolina's quarterback. As Newton overcame his injuries last season, Panthers offensive coordinator Mike Shula had Carolina playing at a faster pace. Rivera said he liked the way that worked.

"We want to see him pick up right where he left off," Rivera said. "One of the things we did to help him once he was healthy was to institute a no-huddle, up-tempo look, and he seemed to handle that really well. Now we can continue to hone that skill for him and for us as a football team."