CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Five things to watch for Tuesday as the Carolina Panthers begin a mandatory three-day minicamp:

Short sighting -- Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kawann Short skipped the last six sessions of voluntary workouts, apparently his way of saying negotiations for a long-term deal aren’t going as well as hoped. But he reported on Monday when players were scheduled to undergo physicals for minicamp, and the expectation is he’ll be on the field today through Thursday. Not that Short had many options. To skip this camp would have cost him $76,000. It also wouldn’t have set well with general manager Dave Gettleman, who rescinded the franchise tag on Josh Norman when it was clear the Pro Bowl cornerback wouldn’t report to voluntary workouts. Norman is now a member of the Washington Redskins. Working in Short’s favor is he’s a “hog molly,’’ Gettleman’s affectionate name for big men. Gettleman loves linemen and won’t let Short, entering the final year of his rookie deal, get away easily. It'll be interesting to see what Short says about his absence the past two weeks since three weeks ago he sounded as though the contract wasn't a big deal. His final words to reporters before taking a mini-vacation were, “If it happens, it happens, but we haven’t focused on that." Stay tuned.

Cam’s focus -- Quarterback Cam Newton had good moments and bad during the three sessions of voluntary workouts the media were allowed to watch. Nothing alarming. Newton took his game to another level this past season, so it might have been a bit much to expect him to maintain that level with a busy offseason filming his Nickelodeon television show. But since this is the final tuneup before taking a month off in advance of training camp, the staff might want to see the league MVP a little sharper in all aspects. Coach Ron Rivera already has challenged Newton to be better than he was in 2015. This would be a good place to start.

Cliché corner -- You didn’t think I could mention five things without mentioning the cornerback position, did you? Second-round pick James Bradberry seems to be the front-runner for replacing Norman, but it’s still too early to tell. Bradberry has been working opposite Robert McClain, and one will move to backup when Bene’ Benwikere returns in full from a fractured leg suffered late last season. It wouldn’t surprise to see Benwikere do a little more this week to get a feel for where he is. But getting the secondary settled is the biggest question heading into camp.

Stew’s foot -- Running back Jonathan Stewart said on Friday that the left foot he injured in the first quarter of the Super Bowl is “good.’’ That came a few days after Rivera said Stewart continues to have some soreness in the foot and the coaches have been cautious with him during OTAs. It’s probably not a big deal with the season still almost three months away, but with Stewart’s age (29) and history of ankle injuries, it’s something to keep an eye on.

For kicks -- You know the roster is in pretty good shape when the punter keeps making this list. The Panthers added long-time San Diego punter Mike Scifres last week to join in the competition with Swayze Waters to replace Brad Norman, who signed with Jacksonville. This position typically doesn’t draw headlines, but it’s one the Panthers would like to get settled sooner rather than later.