4 major observations from Baker Mayfield’s 11th Panthers practice
By Dean Jones
What were some major observations from Carolina Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield’s 11th practice with the team in training camp?
After kicking off the week with another exceptional performance, Baker Mayfield is rapidly emerging in the battle to become the Carolina Panthers’ starting quarterback in 2022. This represented a great outcome for the team, who need inspiration under center after a series of failed moves and questionable decisions hindered their progress since head coach Matt Rhule was appointed in 2020.
Mayfield was acquired relatively cheaply from the Cleveland Browns, who took on a substantial amount of dead-cap to get the deal over the line. Things couldn’t have gone much better for the former No. 1 overall selection so far and Rhule also conceded how good he’s been despite his obvious connection to Sam Darnold.
The Panthers don’t appear that keen on officially confirming Mayfield as the starter just yet. Rhule and his staff want to see how things develop during joint practices with the New England Patriots, with the ex-Baylor man also stating he’d like to get all his quarterbacks some action during their preseason opener at the Washington Commanders on Saturday.
Without further ado, we picked out some major observations from Mayfield’s 11th practice with the Panthers at Wofford College in Spartanburg.
Major Observation No. 1
Baker Mayfield’s noticeable energy
While Sam Darnold has had a decent camp, there is much less risk-taking from the signal-caller throughout drills. Most of his completions are aimed at tight ends and running backs, with his targets to wideouts normally in between the numbers.
It is much different when Baker Mayfield is under center. There is an energy and tempo that hasn’t been seen within the Carolina Panthers for some time and the signal-caller is also developing chemistry with those tasked with making plays for good measure.
This is something that goes relatively unnoticed in the stat-driven era, but is important nonetheless.