Ben McAdoo – Carolina Panthers OC
Much has been made about Ben McAdoo’s pre-draft assessment of Baker Mayfield before the Cleveland Browns selected him at No. 1 overall. To say it was damning is an understatement, but one suspects this deal would not have been signed-off without the new offensive coordinator’s approval.
McAdoo has been extremely influential throughout Carolina’s decision-making process this offseason. He was a key figure in the thought process behind Ian Thomas getting a new deal and according to general manager Scott Fitterer, moving up to acquire Matt Corral at No. 94 overall was largely down to the former New York Giants head coach.
Obviously, the Panthers and McAdoo were not convinced by Sam Darnold, and rightfully so. The trade for Mayfield also indicates that Corral needs a little time to get up to speed before potentially filling the starting job long-term.
This does seem like a good scheme fit. Although it will be a challenge for Mayfield to fully immerse himself into McAdoo’s complex system before and during training camp ahead of a must-see Week 1 clash against his old employers.
Much like the situation with Matt Rhule, Mayfield represents the best possible option for McAdoo to reignite his career. But there is a lot of work ahead with not much in the way of time.