Panthers-Baker Mayfield Trade Discussions Intensifying at Start of Minicamp

There's been little progress made regarding the Cleveland Browns moving disgruntled quarterback Baker Mayfield, but one team that's been rumored to have their eye on the gunslinger is the Carolina Panthers. Now, it looks like discussions are heating up again.

CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones reported on Tuesday that trade talks between the Panthers and Browns have picked up now that both teams have begun their minicamps. Jones added that "there's urgency on Carolina's side" to acquire Mayfield during minicamp to give him as much time as possible to get comfortable.

There's urgency on Carolina's side to execute the deal soon so Mayfield can get some time in minicamp with the Panthers. For the Browns, it's the best offer they have. Talks ongoing.
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) June 14, 2022

Baker Mayfield Panthers Rumors

Jones also reported that the main issue as to why a deal hasn't been pulled off is money. Mayfield carries an $18.8 million cap hit in 2022 and while the Panthers have over $24.5 million in space, according to Spotrac, they're already paying Sam Darnold $18.8 million as well.

Teams around the league know that the Browns are in a tough spot due to how public Mayfield's issues with the organization have been. Most potential suitors are likely waiting to see if Cleveland will just cut him outright, meaning the Panthers could be the Browns' last chance at getting back any kind of return.

Mayfield struggled in 2021 due to a slew of injuries, including a torn labrum, but a healthy version of himself is easily an upgrade over Darnold. Even playing hurt, Mayfield racked up 3,010 yards and 17 touchdowns to 13 interceptions in 14 starts, whereas Darnold had 2,527 yards, nine TDs and 13 INTs in 11 starts.

The pressure is building on both sides to get a job done as soon as possible. Although the Browns might not get the return that they had hoped for, sending Mayfield to the Panthers as soon as possible would be the easiest way to prevent further distractions during camp.

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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.