Newton: I need to accept I can't always be the playmaker

The Carolina Panthers spoke of a need to evolve their offense this offseason, then followed it up by drafting dynamic playmakers Christian McCaffrey and Curtis Samuel with their first two picks.

Now, the team's superstar quarterback is also talking about a need to alter how he approaches the sport - perhaps in the interest of giving his new teammates the best chance to succeed.

"The thing I have to realize is my job is not necessarily to always be the playmaker," Newton said, according to Bill Voth of the Panthers' official website. "I have to give other people opportunities to make plays. That's the hardest thing about maturation, especially for me.

"So having more comfort in trusting the guys around me is the biggest thing. Trust and knowing my job is giving everybody a chance and letting them do their job as well."

Since Newton entered the NFL, most of the Panthers' offensive production has come from Newton attacking downfield in the passing game and running the ball himself in the run game, particularly near the goal line.

Now that the Panthers have players like McCaffrey and Samuel in the fold, the team is expected to introduce more short passes to its offense in an attempt to allow the rookies to chew up yardage and take pressure off Newton.

Newton was the NFL's MVP in 2015 in an offense built entirely around his talents, but he endured a forgettable 2016 season.

The Panthers had to do something to inject life into their stale offense, and for now it sounds like their biggest star is on board with the changes.