More behind the scenes info on the Mayfield trade

[Mr. Scot]

From Albert Breer (MMQB)

A key to the Baker Mayfield deal getting done was that the Panthers basically got three weeks of runway to talk to him before Cleveland and Carolina consummated the deal. Browns GM Andrew Berry initially gave the Panthers’ brass permission to talk to Mayfield as soon as the sides came to a basic agreement on compensation (a 2024 fifth-round pick that becomes a fourth-rounder if Mayfield plays 70% of the snaps this season), which was the week of Carolina’s veteran minicamp in June. From there, coach Matt Rhule talked football with the quarterback, while GM Scott Fitterer kept him abreast of the business side of it, while emphasizing to him that he’d have to earn the job, but that this would be the best place, alongside guys like Christian McCaffrey and D.J. Moore, to bet on himself.

By then, whereas Fitterer and Rhule were once lukewarm on the idea of trading for Mayfield, a closer look at his 2020 tape, with the acknowledgment that his ’21 was sideways, got the Panthers believing that just as this could be a really great opportunity for the player, it was going to be a pretty good swing for the team to take, too. Add that on to conversations Rhule had with Mayfield’s college coach, Lincoln Riley, and the logic is that, with Mayfield in a competition with Sam Darnold and Matt Corral, the Panthers get three good swings at getting the position fixed, with Mayfield helping to provide a higher floor at the position than they had last year.

And because they’ve been talking with him for a while—those conversations also helped to convince Mayfield to take a little less money (another bet on himself) to make the trade happen—there’s a pretty good feeling, or at least a better one, that they know what they’re getting in a player who’s pretty well-known for his reaction to those who slight him.

[jayboogieman]

10 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

whereas Fitterer and Rhule were once lukewarm on the idea of trading for Mayfield

I'm not sold on the idea of Rhule being lukewarm on the trade. Fitt I can see since he had just drafted his Russell Wilson hopeful in the third round of the draft and probably didn't want to give up too many assets for another QB.

[Jackie Lee]

11 minutes ago, jayboogieman said:

I'm not sold on the idea of Rhule being lukewarm on the trade. Fitt I can see since he had just drafted his Russell Wilson hopeful in the third round of the draft and probably didn't want to give up too many assets for another QB.

Me neither, they openly admit they think Corral needs to sit a year and they know they can't trot Darnold out there again. Hate how they get to act like they didn't get us in this situation in the first place. The only other ridiculous camp battle is really Seattle and they're in tank mode

[Mr. Scot]

It's not hard to believe Fitterer was lukewarm on it given the multiple times he said the best option was to draft a quarterback and build around him. He even stated after the draft that this was the plan with Corral.

Rhule? Don't know. History would tell us he prefers a veteran. Mayfield specifically? Unknown.

Among his assistants, we know that McAdoo was high on Corral and not so high on Mayfield the year he was drafted.

[Tr3ach]

23 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

It's not hard to believe Fitterer was lukewarm on it given the multiple times he said the best option was to draft a quarterback and build around him. He even stated after the draft that this was the plan with Corral.

Rhule? Don't know. History would tell us he prefers a veteran. Mayfield specifically? Unknown.

Among his assistants, we know that McAdoo was high on Corral and not so high on Mayfield the year he was drafted.

It has been said from inside the organization that Rhule was always lukewarm on the idea.  I think it has been confirmed by the timing.  If this was something Rhule really wanted it would have happened a while back.  Probably at the draft. 

[PanthersATL]

1 hour ago, Mr. Scot said:

From Albert Breer (MMQB)

From there, coach Matt Rhule talked football with the quarterback,

And yet, Baker STILL wanted to come here.

 

(although seriously -- have we heard from people who know whether Rhule truly is a players' coach vs what we see and comment on here?)

[Stingray3030]

1 hour ago, Jackie Lee said:

Me neither, they openly admit they think Corral needs to sit a year and they know they can't trot Darnold out there again. Hate how they get to act like they didn't get us in this situation in the first place. The only other ridiculous camp battle is really Seattle and they're in tank mode

Although I agree they got us into the situation with an overpaid Darnold, the QB room was one of the worst in the NFL before they got here.  They took a shot with Darnold - a little too expensive, but a reasonable shot to take given their options.  They didn't make a mistake in the 2021 draft ( could get proven wrong but not yet - Fields & Mac aren't the answer).  They didn't make a mistake in the 2022 draft.  Their free agent moves have pretty much all been very good.  

I do believe it is mostly Fitt, so I'm all for Rhule taking blame, but truthfully Rhule walked into a crapshow and Fitt has done about as well as anyone could given what he has had to work with.  Getting Rhule out is fine but I love Fitt so far...no issue with him acting like he isn't at fault.

[joemac]

I think we all know that this is a QB competition in name only.  Baker is going to be QB1, Week 1 versus Cleveland.  They would not have made this deal if they were comfortable with Darnold being the starting QB again this year. 

[PanthersATL]

8 minutes ago, joemac said:

Baker is going to be QB1, Week 1 versus Cleveland.  

If Baker *isn't* QB1 vs Cleveland, this fanbase is going to be angry.

Baker had better be the most fired-up, locker-room leader for that game.  

[joemac]

Just now, PanthersATL said:

If Baker *isn't* QB1 vs Cleveland, this fanbase is going to be angry.

Baker had better be the most fired-up, locker-room leader for that game.  

Yeah, if barring injury, Sam starts another game for us, we fuging riot.  And I dont mean Roaring.

[poundaway]

30 minutes ago, Stingray3030 said:

 but truthfully Rhule walked into a crapshow

Gasp.  You take that back.  RR would have never left a crapshow behind.  He was a genius.

[Jackie Lee]

7 minutes ago, PanthersATL said:

If Baker *isn't* QB1 vs Cleveland, this fanbase is going to be angry.

Baker had better be the most fired-up, locker-room leader for that game.  

 

[Mr. Scot]

1 hour ago, Tr3ach said:

It has been said from inside the organization that Rhule was always lukewarm on the idea.  I think it has been confirmed by the timing.  If this was something Rhule really wanted it would have happened a while back.  Probably at the draft. 

We tried to trade for Mayfield during the draft.

As far as Rhule not wanting him, the only source I've ever seen say that was the guy on the huddle who had nothing to back it up.

[poundaway]

Yet again, the huddle is only going to believe the parts that fit their narrow worldview.  No surprises there.

Edited July 25, 2022 by poundaway