CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Mike Shula played it coy.

The Carolina Panthers' offensive coordinator didn't hide his excitement over having two new toys in running back Christian McCaffrey and wide receiver Curtis Samuel.

He made it clear that Carolina's first- and second-round picks will add much-needed speed. He just didn't offer much detail on how he planned to use two of the most versatile players he's had since taking over the offense in 2013.

"We'll have to see," Shula said with a smile Saturday as Carolina's two-day rookie minicamp came to a close. "Hopefully, we'll be back to where we were in 2015 as far as production. That's the No. 1 thing.

"How we get there will be things we're talking about from today all the way through OTAs and the summer and training camp."

Since the end of last season, coach Ron Rivera has used the word "evolve" to describe how the offense has to rely less on quarterback Cam Newton in the running game.

Shula prefers another word.

"I like 'production,'" he said.

For a crux such as this, Shula's goal is simple. No matter what role Newton plays in the running game, no matter how McCaffrey and Samuel are used, he wants to produce touchdowns like the 2015 unit that led the NFL in scoring with 31.25 points a game.

How that comes together won't be clear until Shula's new toys blend with his old ones: Newton, running back Jonathan Stewart, tight end Greg Olsen and wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin.

That won't happen completely until training camp, when Newton is allowed to throw with the team for the first time since undergoing surgery to repair a partially torn rotator cuff.

What's clear after the rookie camp is that the new toys lived up to their pre-draft billing in that they showed the ability to create mismatches with their speed and flexibility and can play multiple positions.

What's also clear is that the Panthers now have the weapons to be as dangerous as any team in the league if Newton can get back to his 2015 MVP form.

"Guys that have shown that they, in their collegiate careers, can get the ball in the end zone, that's obviously a huge plus," Shula said. "Both [McCaffrey and Samuel] have shown that they can do that, and they have some flexibility and a lot of talent. The other thing is when you watch the tape they are both very instinctive players."

That will help Newton in ways other than just limiting his running. He finally has players who can turn a short pass into a big gain. He'll have more opportunities to get rid of the ball quicker and avoid some of the hits that damaged his confidence in 2016.

"We've got guys in place now," Shula said. "We're just going to add these guys and hopefully that'll make us more dangerous."

McCaffrey in particular will benefit Newton. The former Stanford star's ability to line up in multiple positions and be a threat as a receiver in addition to a runner will keep defenses off balance. Defenders won't be able to pin their ears back and come after the quarterback as easily.

"Anytime you get guys that are talented and have speed, and are instinctive and good guys with the ball in their hands, and make people miss and find ways to make yards, and get the ball in the end zone, that's going to help your quarterback," Shula said.

Now Shula just needs to get his quarterback healthy so he can fully blend him in.

"You always want all your guys out here to try to create that continuity," Shula said. "When he gets back he's going to pick things up -- not scheme-wise, but just to get the rhythm back with the guys that have been here and with the new guys."

Meanwhile, Shula will play it coy.