CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Cam Newton is a “big fan” of Antonio Brown.
The Carolina Panthers quarterback told the disgruntled Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver just that last summer while arranging a pre-training camp workout session.
“I told him, 'I'm coming to you. You don't have to worry about getting me a hotel or whatever. I just really want to see how can I implement some of the things that you do and kind of sit back and be in awe,'" Newton said in November before a Thursday night game against the Steelers. “And I was."
Newton called Brown a “nocturnal beast" because of his late-night workouts, the second or third of the day. Both stars posted pictures on social media of them tooling around Miami in luxury rides, playing catch on the field and sweating in the weight room.
“I had to figure out the ingredients to the No. 2 juice," Newton said on social media, referring to Brown being ranked second on the NFL’s top 100 players list before last season.
Just don’t look for Newton and Brown to carry on this relationship as teammates.
Brown, 30, has asked the Steelers for a trade that management will try to make happen. There are logical reasons to think Carolina would be a good fit beyond Newton being a fan of Brown, a seven-time Pro Bowl selection who since 2013 has averaged 114 catches, 1,524 yards and 11 touchdowns per season.
The Panthers appear to be moving on from soon-to-be free agent Devin Funchess, who entered last season as the team’s No. 1 receiver before losing that job to first-round pick DJ Moore. Management would like to surround Newton with more weapons as he comes off shoulder surgery for the second time in three offseasons.
Owner David Tepper is a native of Pittsburgh and was a minority owner of the Steelers before purchasing the Panthers last year.
However, there are more reasons the Panthers won’t be in the market for Brown. Barring a restructuring of his contract, he’ll cost $15.2 million in salary-cap space and likely a second- or third-round draft pick.
The Panthers have just over $15 million in cap space and have more pressing needs than receiver, beginning with rebuilding the offensive line to protect Newton.
Carolina already has Moore, who has the potential to be an all-around threat like Brown and at a low cost for the next three to four seasons. Moore had 55 catches for 788 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie, most of that coming in the second half of the season as the offense transitioned away from Funchess.
It's common for receivers to improve after their rookie seasons, of course -- after all, Brown had only 16 catches for 167 yards and no touchdowns as a rookie in 2010.
The Panthers also have running back Christian McCaffrey, who has led the team in receptions the past two seasons, including 107 this past season to set the NFL single-season record for a running back.
With Pro Bowl tight end Greg Olsen expecting a full recovery from foot surgery, there might not be enough passes to go around if you add Brown to the mix.
Then there’s the age factor. Brown will turn 31 before the season. The Panthers already have 30-year-old veteran Torrey Smith on the roster to help develop a young corps that includes Moore and 2017 second-round pick Curtis Samuel.
Also, Brown’s on-field and off-the-field antics could make him more a disruption to the locker room than a leader. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin admitted late last season that Brown's behavior resulted in a level of "disappointment."
So Brown wearing Carolina black and blue doesn’t seem like a match, although it would be fun to watch the attention he and Newton would receive on many levels.
Newton considers himself one of the most stylish players in the NFL. Brown also is about high fashion, from his fur coats to his red-bottomed Louboutin sneakers that cost north of $1,000. He has called his style the best “drip’’ in the NFL.
"People don't realize that football players have just as much style as the other sport players,’’ Newton said.
The offseason and preseason workouts also would draw a crowd. As word of Newton and Brown working out in Miami spread, other players began showing up. Imagine how fans would swarm to training camp to watch the two, although it is uncertain when Newton will be allowed to throw after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder.
Ace Boogie Bombs @CameronNewton #WhatyouWaitinOn#LetItFly #instride pic.twitter.com/VmfhUy03BB
— Antonio Brown (@AB84) June 27, 2018
"His mentality is different," Newton said of Brown. “His work ethic is supreme and superior, and it shows on Sundays."
It just won’t show as a member of the Panthers.