3 reasons the Carolina Panthers are stalling on Baker Mayfield trade
By Dean Jones
Carolina Panthers cannot agree internally
There could be plenty of benefits to bringing in a motivated Baker Mayfield in the final year of his deal.
The quarterback clearly feels shunned by the Cleveland Browns and possibly the entire league after what’s transpired in recent months. It’s also worth remembering that his indifferent production last season was largely down to a shoulder problem that hindered his ability to match the level of performances that came with a playoff victory in 2020.
According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, one of the main stumbling blocks regarding the trade is that the Carolina Panthers cannot agree internally about whether or not it is the right thing to do. Unless this changes, it’s hard to envisage a scenario where a deal is secured unless someone high up pulls rank.
"“The problem is, there doesn’t seem to be organizational consensus in Carolina over Mayfield. Some are much higher on him than others, which has been an issue, a source said. If they were all on the same page and all in, they could have him on the roster in time for their mandatory minicamp June 14-16 — same as the Browns.”"
This doesn’t come as much surprise. Offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo wasn’t exactly high on Mayfield coming out of Oklahoma and unless this perception has changed, the new arrival’s input might end up being the deciding factor given how influential he was in Matt Corral coming on board.
Only time will tell, obviously. But it’s clear further discussions need to take place if this is something they consider moving forward.