The Carolina Panthers have been linked to Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield recently and could look to trade for him. However, they also reportedly have other options in mind.
RE Baker Mayfield: The former No. 1 overall pick is among the QB options for the Panthers, but he's not the only guy on the list. There's also the issue of Mayfield's $18.8M salary (same as Sam Darnold's). Browns would have to help. Happy Easter.
— Joe Person (@josephperson) April 17, 2022
Back when the Houston Texans were looking for trade partners for Deshaun Watson, the Panthers were one of the candidates. Watson opted to land with the Browns, partly because Carolina apparently did not want to guarantee the third and fourth years on the quarterback’s contract.
Consequentially, the Browns’ trade for Watson has made Mayfield expendable. The 27-year-old has played for the Browns since the franchise drafted him with the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Mayfield had a stellar collegiate career, racking up a variety of awards. However, he has failed to live up to the hype in the NFL.
He did help the Browns reach the playoffs in the 2020 season. That was the first time the team reached that stage since the 2002 campaign. Even so, the franchise decided to make an upgrade at quarterback this year.
As for the Panthers, they are seemingly looking for an upgrade over Sam Darnold, who started 11 games for the team last season.
Carolina acquired the third overall pick of the 2018 draft prior to the 2021 regular season. It likely hoped that the young quarterback would realize his potential and help the organization find some success in the regular season. That did not pan out, however, as Darnold went 4-7 in his starts and completed just 59.9 percent of his passes.
Only time will tell if the Panthers end up making a deal for Mayfield in the offseason.
