The Carolina Panthers had a rough season last year. They started the year off red hot, racing out to a 6-2 record. For a while, they seemed bound for the playoffs, but then they completely collapsed. They lost seven of their next eight games and finished the year 7-9.

Quarterback Cam Newton was dealing with a shoulder injury for most of the season, and by the last handful of games he barely looked like himself. With two games to go, the team finally shut him down. Newton had shoulder surgery this offseason and the team has insisted he'll be 100 percent healthy for next season.

Newton is still only 29, and should be in the prime of his career. But that hasn't stopped the Panthers from digging around this year's class of quarterbacks available in the draft. The team has “spent considerable time with” West Virginia quarterback Will Grier, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Rapoport also writes that the team spent “the day with him before his pro day,” and that the Panthers are “definitely doing QB homework.” It's interesting, to say the least, and will surely raise questions about Newton's shoulder.

It's possible, if not probable, that the Panthers are just doing their due diligence. But it's also fair to wonder if there's legitimate concern about Newton's longterm health. Shoulder injuries can be very tricky for quarterbacks, and it's possible Newton's injury will reoccur.

Grier is currently projected by many to come off the board in the draft's second day, either in round two or three. If the Panthers were to take him there, it would be a very significant investment of draft capital. The Panthers currently have Taylor Heinicke and Kyle Allen behind Newton on the roster.