Martin Rogers FOX Sports Columnist
The Baker Mayfield signing is the equivalent of the Carolina Panthers sending hopes into the end zone and looking for luck to come their way.
It’s a desperate move for a desperate team, one in desperate need of a quarterback solution but without the leverage to acquire someone who fits most notions of the savior stereotype.
The trade comes as the Panthers have general manager Scott Fitterer and head coach Matt Rhule both on the hottest seats thanks to a two-year 10-game winning streak and stagnant progress. . And it apparently came about because of the wild turn of events that ended Mayfield’s time with the Cleveland Browns.
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The Panthers hope to find lightning in a bottle. But they are also doing the right thing.
Because when things are dire and only a drastic hike will do, there’s no point in playing it safe, no point in sticking with what you know. If ever there was a time to take a chance with an unpredictable character capable of brilliant flashbacks, it’s now.
Mayfield is by no means a perfect QB, but he is exactly what the Panthers need. He is loud and active and not afraid of the spotlight. He’s used to coming in and trying to turn a sad situation around, having found that out with the then-hapless Browns when they drafted him as the No. 1 pick in 2018. 1.
Mayfield’s game has flaws, so Cleveland was willing to move on from him and go the Deshaun Watson route, despite all the baggage and uncertainty that comes with that particular route.
It’s the right move for what it is – cheap gaming without a long-term connection.
Mayfield becomes a free agent after the season, and the move will cost Carolina just $4.858 million thanks to the Browns agreeing to pay $10.5 million and Mayfield agreeing to take a pay cut to get things over the line.
Sam Darnold remains on Carolina’s roster, and training camp, which starts in a few weeks, will be a real competition. But expect things to tilt in Mayfield’s favor. Why would the organization bother to trade a fifth round pick (fourth if he meets certain goals, unless they were willing to give Mayfield a chance?)
Carolina knows what it’s going to get with Darnold. That level probably won’t be enough to spark the turnaround that David Tepper, the NFL’s richest owner, wants. It could very well be that Mayfield, who is playing with a much weaker offensive unit than he had in Ohio, will not be able to cope either.
But you never know, and that’s the point. Mayfield’s very nature as a QB, all the things he’s been criticized for, actually work in his favor.
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He has been accused of being stiff and inconsistent, sometimes being too successful against bigger teams and unexpectedly struggling against weaker ones. She’s not afraid to speak her mind and commands attention wherever she goes.
He’s the kind of guy that makes fans mad but also endearing to him. Make no mistake, there were some sad eyes in Cleveland when the deal was finally done, and not just a few.
Beyond that, it’s still unclear what Mayfield is capable of. He’s shown the ability to take a team to the brink of the Super Bowl, like in 2020. He’s shown he’s not bothered by the narrative of past failures and immediately elevated Cleveland’s fan base when he entered the league.
He’s also shown that he can play particularly poorly at times, but opinions remain divided as to how much last season should count against him.
Yes, he had just the 27th best quarterback rating in 2021 and failed to get the 8-9 Browns to the postseason. But he also struggled with injury problems, had a severely depleted offensive line and running back team, and lost star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. in exchange.
“Even if Baker plays well, the Panthers won’t make the playoffs,” FS1’s Nick Wright said on “First Things First.” “He’ll probably be next season, whether he’s with the Panthers or somewhere else, his sixth head coach and sixth offensive coordinator in his sixth NFL season. But he’s the best QB on the roster and he’ll be the Week 1 starter.”
Panthers acquire Baker Mayfield from Browns
Nick Wright discusses whether this trade will work: “Even if Baker plays well, the Panthers won’t make the playoffs. See the article : Baker Mayfield traded to Panthers: winners, losers in trade that sends former No. 1 overall pick to Carolina.”
Here’s the thing. The Panthers aren’t necessarily looking for their QB of the future. They think they have that in Matt Corral, who was taken in the third round of the last draft.
If Mayfield comes in, shines a few times and causes a general increase in the atmosphere of the place, if he gets a record somewhere close to .500, then he goes somewhere else after keeping Corral’s seat warm? The Panthers would be more than happy with that.
So when we talk about desperate dice rolls, it’s all relative. Yes, it’s a Hail Mary that Mayfield led the Panthers to playoff glory. After all, they and maybe he probably just aren’t good enough for it.
But he’s a personality and a player who wants to win, and he’s the right choice for the right time.
His signing is not a forerunner of a gilded route and certainly not a sure bet. What’s a plan for an adventure, it always brings it for Mayfield. For Carolina – for now – this is the best they’re going to get.
Martin Rogers is a columnist for FOX Sports and author of the FOX Sports Insider newsletter. You can subscribe to the daily newsletter here.
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