When their pursuit of Deshaun Watson effectively went by the wayside, the Carolina Panthers became patient. Whether through free agency, the draft or the trade market, there weren’t any quarterbacks particularly worth diving headfirst at—so why the rush?
Well, as we now begin mandatory minicamp here on June 14, the Panthers may not be as patient anymore.
According to CBS Sports lead NFL insider Jonathan Jones, trade talks for Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield have picked up. With the team moving into its latest stage of the offseason, and ever closer to a pivotal 2022 for the current regime, there’s now a sense of urgency to finally get something done.
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
Carolina, ever since Watson ended up in Cleveland, has been connected to the former No. 1 overall pick for the better part of the past few months. But—given Mayfield’s less-than-stellar career thus far, his questionable fit in the young locker room and an $18.8 million price tag for the upcoming campaign—the organization may be somewhat split on adding the disgruntled passer.
We’ll see, perhaps in the upcoming hours, how split they really are . . .
