If the Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers ever finalize a trade for quarterback Baker Mayfield, no one should be surprised.
We have been hearing the speculation for months, and it continues.
NFL Insider Albert Breer called into the Rich Eisen Show late last week to talk about the Mayfield situation.
Here are the highlights of what he said.
1. Mayfield Is Still On Carolina’s Radar
There was a sense that the Panthers wanted to assess what they had at minicamp with Sam Darnold and Matt Corral.
Breer reported that Carolina’s new offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo believed after minicamp that he could work with Darnold.
Are the Panthers close to a deal for @bakermayfield despite Matt Rhule’s comments about Sam Darnold?@AlbertBreer on the latest:#NFL #KeepPounding pic.twitter.com/SfgUhFUq3g
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) June 17, 2022
Coach Matt Rhule said that Darnold is the QB1.
Matt Rhule on Sam Darnold: "If we played today, Sam would be our quarterback."
Says if they can make a "significant" upgrade, they should do it. But the players already here also can improve.— Joe Person (@josephperson) June 16, 2022
He did leave wiggle room for a “significant” upgrade.
And he said that a new quarterback could show up at training camp and pick up McAdoo’s offense.
Rhule suggested it wouldn’t be that difficult for a new QB to come in at or near the start of training camp and pick up Ben McAdoo’s offense and be ready by Week 1. 🤔
— theprowlreport (@theprowlreport) June 13, 2022
For his part, Darnold hears the rumors too but is correctly focused on his performance.
Sam Darnold on Panthers still being linked to other QBs: “I’ve gotta hold up my end of the bargain. If I’m the starting quarterback for this team, I’ve gotta go out and play good football.” pic.twitter.com/q08qIYnxsp
— Joe Person (@josephperson) June 15, 2022
2. Browns Are Prepared To Pay Half Of Mayfield’s Salary
The Browns have certainly softened their approach in recent weeks.
There was a time when they wanted a team to take on all of Mayfield’s $18.8 million salary and provide draft picks.
Breer has indicated that they are now offering to pay $9-$10 million of Mayfield’s salary.
Rumors: #Browns are willing to cover half of QB Baker Mayfield’s salary to help facilitate a trade, per @AlbertBreer
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) June 19, 2022
Because the Panthers have the exact same compensation tied up in Darnold, Breer believes if the Panthers only had to pay between $4 and $5 million, the deal would have already happened.
It is not yet clear if the Browns will go so far as to pay more than 2/3 of Mayfield’s 2022 salary to get this deal done.
3. Don’t Forget About Seattle
Breer says that teams wrapping up their minicamps now have seven weeks to assess their needs before training camp opens.
That means that people should not be shocked if another team jumps in the Mayfield race besides Carolina.
Seattle is another obvious choice with Geno Smith and Drew Lock competing for the QB1 job.
Do not forget that 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo could still be on the trade market so he is another option for teams believing they need a better QB.
Would Jimmy Garoppolo or Baker Mayfield make more sense to be the next #Seahawks QB?
Seattle Sports' @michaelbumpus5 sees Garoppolo as "a better upgrade" than Mayfield.
“If they think they’re a QB away, I think you go after Jimmy."https://t.co/cEtrwubcJA
— Seattle Sports (@SeattleSports) June 15, 2022
We just do not know how or when this Mayfield saga will end.
NEXT: Browns Nation News And Notes (6/19/22)
