Earlier in the night Thursday, it seemed like the Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers were on the verge of making a trade for Baker Mayfield happen. The Panthers seemed like the best fit as a team with a need for a starting quarterback but not having the resources to trade for one like Jimmy Garoppolo.
As the third round rolled on, numerous national reports seemed to be getting information that the trade was possible or likely sometime during the weekend.
Quickly, things changed and ended with Carolina trading a 2023 third-round pick to move up from pick #137 to the New England Patriots pick at #94 to select QB Matt Corral.
Just prior to that move, Charles Robinson noted that finances played a role in Mayfield not going to the Panthers:
I’m told the Baker Mayfield talks between the #Panthers and #Browns are halted. The two teams have not been able to come to terms on dividing up Mayfield’s $18.8 million in guaranteed money next season.
— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) April 30, 2022
Carolina’s owner, reportedly, called the Browns bluff and tried to get Cleveland to pay a vast majority of the quarterback’s contract.
If money was the only reason a deal didn’t get done, it likely means that the team was not sold on Mayfield as Jeremy Fowler reported.
In the end, the Panthers decided to trade two draft picks, including a premium one in a better draft in 2023, for Corral than to trade for Mayfield. With Carolina, seemingly, out of the quarterback market, it will be interesting what happens next for the Browns and their former top overall pick.
