AP

Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey was forced to miss the majority of the team’s offseason program because of the NFL rule barring rookies from practicing while their schools are still in session, so he has some catching up to do heading into the regular season.

He will get a chance to start on that effort before training camp when he and other Panthers join quarterback Cam Newton for workouts in Baltimore before training camp starts. It will be McCaffrey’s first chance to catch passes from Newton and it will be the first time Newton’s thrown to his collection of receiving targets since having shoulder surgery this offseason.

“The biggest thing is just getting on the same page where everybody is in sync,” McCaffrey said, via ESPN.com. “We’re all good on our steps, we’re all good on our routes, so we want to come into training camp and look fluid. Nobody is worried about Cam. He’s going to be just fine. He’s a helluva player, a helluva athlete. He’ll adjust real quickly.”

The consistent message out of Carolina this offseason has been one of hope that adding McCaffrey and wide receiver Curtis Samuel in the draft makes the team a more versatile and explosive offense than the Newton-centric one of recent years. The work done between now and September will likely determine how quickly that happens.