CHARLOTTE, N.C. — After Panthers first-round draft pick Christian McCaffrey received his first ever handoff from Cam Newton at minicamp on Thursday, he took his second after practice during a post-minicamp media session.

Roughly 20 reporters were waiting patiently alongside Carolina's practice fields for McCaffrey — who had been barred from using the team’s facilities until Stanford’s spring quarter ended June 14 — when Newton playfully interrupted and made the media wait a few seconds longer before they could talk to the rookie running back.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa," Newton said before repeating the word five more times. “Hold on, hold on. Let me knock mine out of the way first, because I’m not waiting behind no Christian McCaffrey. I know we all been waiting on Christian, even including myself. OK, y’all don’t have any questions? OK, Christian."

Cam Newton isn't about to let the rookie hog all the attention pic.twitter.com/brYHx9KxFD — Tadd Haislop (@TaddHaislop) June 15, 2017

With that, the eighth overall selection in this year’s NFL Draft digested and recapped his first — and the team’s last — day of minicamp.

McCaffrey’s morning began with a walk to the Panthers’ practice fields alongside fullback Darrel Young and running back Fozzy Whittaker before a brief stop on the sideline for a pre-practice prayer with Charlotte’s skyline looming in the background.

Then came two hours of McCaffrey lining up in just about every formation and position imaginable, from the backfield to the slot, giving the Panthers’ offense a blank canvas with a full palette of weapons and possibilities.

"It’s great,” he said. "I figure the more ways I can be dynamic, the better, for the coaches, for me, for the team, so whatever they ask me to do, that’s what I’ll do."

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Panthers coach Ron Rivera said despite the brevity of McCaffrey’s one-day appearance during minicamp, the team was excited about his presence in practice as his teammates got an up-close look at him.

"We’re really excited about what he can do and his abilities and things he’s going to help open up for his teammates,” Rivera said. "I’m excited for what it means for Jonathan (Stewart) and for Greg Olsen, Kelvin (Benjamin) and (Devin Funchess). It's one of those things that he’s going to take a lot of pressure off of people as well.

"Probably the biggest thing is we’ve given our quarterback another weapon, another tool."

In three years at Stanford, McCaffrey recorded 21 rushing, 10 receiving and two passing touchdowns, in addition to two more as a punt and kick returner. The school put him on the fast track to stardom, but it also delayed the start of his offseason training with his new team.

Stanford’s academic calendar is organized by a quarter system, hence the school’s mid-June commencement, and NFL rules prevent rookies from participating in offseason workouts until their respective school years end.

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Since being drafted by Carolina in April, McCaffrey’s in-person interactions with the Panthers prior to Thursday were limited to a two-day rookie camp in the first week of May.

When McCaffrey was home in Colorado, he relied on nightly phone calls with Panthers running backs coach Jim Skipper, who spent 45 minutes to an hour per day reviewing, explaining and quizzing the rookie running back on the latest batch of plays that the team had installed.

McCaffrey texted with his fellow running backs and studied the Panthers’ linebackers “because that’s who you go against every day.” He trained with strength and speed coach Loren Landow, and he worked on his route running with his father, former NFL wide receiver Ed McCaffrey.

McCaffrey said several times that the rule that kept him from using Carolina’s facilities "is what it is," but the rookie is in favor of changing it.

"I would," he said, "or at least make some exceptions."

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After the final day of minicamp, McCaffrey planned on spending the rest of Thursday recovering, continuing to study the team’s playbook and spending time with his new teammates. He has a similar businesslike approach to the next few weeks, which he’ll spend in Charlotte, now that his restrictions have been lifted. He said his time will be spent studying and working out.

Rivera left minicamp Thursday impressed with McCaffrey’s preparation and knowledge of the team’s playbook. During a red zone drill, defensive coordinator Steve Wilks called for a blitz, and McCaffrey successfully read the defense and picked up a block in protection.

"I knew it was something that he had to have studied," Rivera said, “because he would not know who to pick up or who to read."

McCaffrey shared the backfield Thursday with backup quarterbacks Derek Anderson and Joe Webb, since Newton was mostly sidelined due to his ongoing recovery from shoulder surgery in March. The Panthers’ starting quarterback did impart some valuable advice to his new running back.

"They all say the same thing," McCaffrey said, "once you get out here, come out here and have fun. That’s all it is. You miss some time but that part’s over now so I’m just focused on what I can do now.

"He just told me to show up and ball out."