4 major observations from Baker Mayfield’s third Panthers practice
By Dean Jones
What were some major observations from Carolina Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield’s third practice with the team in training camp?
Wednesday’s practice was the second for Baker Mayfield following his trade from the Carolina Panthers and the quarterback clearly looked more comfortable. This was down in no small part to his presence with the first-team unit, which seemed to bring out more from the former Oklahoma standout in terms of consistency and production.
The Panthers are keen to keep this quarterback competition going despite Mayfield’s presence. Just how much this has to do with keeping Sam Darnold in the spotlight for a potential trade is debatable, but Carolina didn’t covet the No. 1 overall selection in 2018 this offseason for him to be holding a clipboard in Week 1.
There is a significant amount of buzz surrounding Mayfield. One that has grown in training camp with his loyal following throwing adulation from the famous grassy hill in Spartanburg.
This isn’t going unnoticed by the player. But what were the major observations from Mayfield’s third practice with the Panthers?
Major Observation No. 1
Carolina Panthers continue splitting Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold
It came as no surprise, but the Carolina Panthers once again split reps between Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold. This is all part of their ongoing quarterback assessment, with head coach Matt Rhule adding that the coaching staff is nowhere near evaluating the signal-callers just yet.
Mayfield is still working things out and there are times when Darnold looks more comfortable due to his previous experience within the setup. However, we should get a firmer indication of what Carolina’s true hand is when the pads go on next week.
The newly acquired man under center is still acclimatizing to his surroundings. And we’ve all seen what Darnold can – or cannot – do in a competitive environment.