Insider Reveals Chances of Baker Mayfield-Sam Darnold Swap

With trade rumors surrounding Baker Mayfield heating up, the Carolina Panthers have emerged as the top destination for the Cleveland Browns' signal-caller. Some people have thrown around the idea of the teams swapping quarterbacks, with Sam Darnold going to Cleveland in a potential deal.

Anyone thinking of that trade theory shouldn't hold their breath, though. Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot is reporting that the chance of a Mayfield-Darnold swap is "very unlikely."

Baker Mayfield Panthers Rumors

Cabot reported that even though the Browns and Panthers have held ongoing trade talks, Darnold "hasn’t been a serious part of the discussion." At the end of the day, it just doesn't make sense for Cleveland to bring in the former 2018 third overall pick.

Darnold is making $18.9 million next season, which is the exact same amount as Mayfield. One aspect of the Browns trying to move on from Mayfield is that they want to get rid of as much of his cap hit as possible, so taking on Darnold would defeat that purpose.

Although there's a chance that legal issues could prevent Deshaun Watson from taking the field in 2022, the Browns likely don't want to spend nearly $19 million on a backup when they already have Jacoby Brissett on the roster. In fact, you could make the argument that Brissett is more reliable than Darnold already.

According to Spotrac, the Panthers have over $24.5 million in cap space — more than enough to fit Darnold and Mayfield. Considering Darnold's inconsistent play and Mayfield's 2021 injury history, it might be a good idea to roster both of them this fall.

For now, fans on both sides must be patient and hope that a trade materializes before training camp begins next month.

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.