Baker Mayfield trade was an absolute steal for the Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers have finally struck a deal to acquire quarterback Baker Mayfield in a trade with the Cleveland Browns.
Although the writing has been on the wall for quite some time, many were beginning to wonder about the legitimacy of Baker Mayfield simply remaining a member of the Cleveland Browns through the 2022 NFL season.
That is not happening as NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport has reported that Mayfield is heading to the Carolina Panthers for a conditional 2024 5th-round draft pick.
A new QB in Carolina: The #Panthers are acquiring former No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield from the #Browns for a 2024 conditional 5th-round draft pick, sources tell me and @TomPelissero. Deal is pending a physical. All parties split the financials to make it happen. pic.twitter.com/xuTLqosmZm
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 6, 2022
Let’s just go ahead and state what is blatantly obvious here — this trade is an absolute heist by the Carolina Panthers.
This was a rare situation where neither team involved in the trade had much leverage at all. It’s kind of been like that scene from The Office where Michael, Andy, Pam, and Dwight are all pointing their make-believe guns at each other in a standoff.
Despite neither side having any real leverage, the Panthers managed to emerge massively victorious from this trade.
The 2024 conditional 5th-round pick can become a 4th-round pick, and that is borderline negligible compared to what Carolina gave up last year for Sam Darnold.
It’s also negligible in the event that Mayfield plays really well this season, which is very much a possibility.
The Panthers are one of those teams that could go from last place into contention with the right mix of ingredients, and Baker Mayfield is undoubtedly that final ingredient.
This trade seems like such a loss for the Cleveland Browns with the only optimistic view on it being they got something instead of nothing.
The Browns’ risky decision to trade for and sign Deshaun Watson could now result in Jacoby Brissett starting games for them in 2022.
Not only are the Browns potentially in a hairy situation there, but they also will be paying a hefty chunk of Mayfield’s salary to now start for the Carolina Panthers.
Browns will eat around $10.5 of Mayfield’s salary. One note— this by no means Mayfield is Week 1 starter. As someone who’s been saying all along Carolina has been the lone destination for Baker (check the tape) Sam Darnold is still VERY highly considered in that building. @gmfb
— Peter Schrager (@PSchrags) July 6, 2022
I’m not buying anything regarding Sam Darnold still having favor with the Panthers, either.
Carolina traded up to acquire Matt Corral in this year’s draft (albeit, in the third round) and now they’ve traded to acquire Baker Mayfield.
QBs are currency in today’s NFL, but the moves the Panthers have made show a clear lack of faith in Darnold’s ability to get the job done, and you can’t blame them for that.
For Baker Mayfield, this could be a great situation, although Panthers offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo is not the most highly regarded offensive mind in the game today.
Regardless of the system he’ll be playing in, he won’t be playing in Cleveland anymore, and that alone could be enough of a situation to get Mayfield a big-money contract in the 2023 offseason when he becomes a free agent.