CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Ken Dorsey is one of those assistant coaches you rarely hear from or notice with the Carolina Panthers even though he works with the most noticeable player on the team.

But Dorsey’s role as the quarterbacks coach is front and center during offseason workouts.

That’s because it’s his job to get Cam Newton ready for training camp without actually having the 2015 NFL MVP available to throw or work in team drills as he rehabilitates from rotator cuff surgery.

So far it hasn’t been a challenge.

Cam Newton is doing everything he can but throwing during OTA practices. Chuck Burton/Associated Press

“He’s as dedicated a guy as I’ve been around in terms of his work ethic," Dorsey told ESPN.com. “He’s really underrated for a lot of that stuff, too. The preparation he puts in during the season, the offseason ... he’s worked extremely hard -- especially in this situation -- understanding he’s not going to get those physical reps.

“So he’s doing everything he can to stay up to speed."

Off the field, that means going to meetings and keeping up with the mental aspects of evolving this offense to depend less on the quarterback carrying the running game.

On the field, that means doing footwork and non-throwing technique drills and staying engaged while quarterbacks Derek Anderson, Joe Webb and Garrett Gilbert run the show.

Dorsey is confident Newton will be ready to blend right back in once he is cleared to throw in training camp.

“Sometimes people see the natural ability, the things he can do just physically," Dorsey said. “Sometimes people don’t realize the instincts he has, the vision he has on the field, the decision-making.

“He works extremely hard at being a quarterback, somebody that can make plays from inside the pocket, outside the pocket, running, throwing. All that comes off film study and preparation."

Newton statistically is coming off his worst season, completing only 52.9 percent of his passes for 19 touchdowns with 14 interceptions. This came a year after he had a career-best 35 touchdown passes and completed 59.8 percent of his attempts.

You would think trying to rebound from that would make it harder to be a spectator during team drills.

Not so much.

“He wants to be out there no matter what happened in the past," Dorsey said. “That’s something we preach. There’s things we can learn from [the past], but you can’t change anything.

“So focus on right now, focus on this play, focus on this meeting, focus on this practice and continue to get better through that aspect."

Center Ryan Kalil recently compared this offseason to Newton’s rookie year when the first pick of the 2011 draft wasn’t allowed to be with the team until July 25 because of the NFL lockout.

Newton went on to set multiple NFL rookie records, most notably becoming the first rookie to pass for more than 4,000 yards.

Dorsey was an IMG employee who trained Newton, Webb, Christian Ponder and Randall Cobb during the lockout. The former Miami Hurricanes star became Carolina’s quarterbacks coach in 2013 when Mike Shula was promoted to offensive coordinator.

But as Dorsey reminded, Newton wasn’t able to be in the building or on the field in 2011, so it’s not an apples-to-apples comparison.

“Also, the years of experience," said Dorsey, who was 38-2 with a national championship as a collegiate starter. “The fact that he’s played so many games and been such a ... warrior on the field in terms of being out there week in and week out is big."

What Newton can’t do is throw to -- and work on his timing with -- his new weapons until training camp. And there are plenty, from first- and second-round draft picks Christian McCaffrey and Curtis Samuel to free agents Russell Shepard and Charles Johnson.

Dorsey likes what he has seen out of those weapons so far, minus McCaffrey, who can’t join the team until a June 13-15 minicamp because of a league rule that requires a rookie’s school year to be over.

Newton may not be throwing to his new toys, but he is spending time talking to them and getting a feel for what they can do.

“That’s the fun part about our offense is we can do a lot of different things," Dorsey said. “Right now it’s about focusing on getting better at our fundamentals, our base stuff.

“All the other game-planning stuff will come during the season."

By then Newton will be back under center and the staff will be ready to blend in wrinkles to fundamental plays they are running now. There is no immediate concern that he won’t be ready for the season.

“The fun part to watch about him is he’s everywhere in terms of something pops up, he goes and talks to the receivers," Dorsey said. "Something else pops up, bang, he’s over with the backs.

“He’s done a great job in terms of communicating, in terms of staying involved and staying engaged and not withdrawing from the situation."