Is Baker Mayfield an Upgrade Over Sam Darnold?

Will the Carolina Panthers take a chance on Malik Willis, Kenny Pickett, or Matt Corral as the future of the franchise in this year's NFL Draft? Or will they look to acquire a veteran such as Baker Mayfield or Jimmy Garoppolo?

We should have a pretty good idea of which direction the Panthers are leaning in within the next week or so as we inch closer to draft night but right now, there is a lot of smoke in regards to Baker Mayfield potentially becoming a Panther. According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the Panthers have the "inside track" to land the former No. 1 overall pick.

The rumors of a potential deal spread quickly throughout social media and had many Panthers fans thinking, "oh no, not again" and even wide receiver Robby Anderson agreed by sharing his thoughts on an instagram post regarding the matter.

No, Mayfield may not be the most appealing option for the Panthers but he might be the best available. Carolina swung and fell short in the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes and also reportedly tried to swing a deal for Russell Wilson before he was dealt to Denver. That trade, however, did not get very far. If the Panthers don't fall in love with one of these quarterbacks in the draft, they are looking at a very real possibility of Sam Darnold leading the offense once again in 2022. That is, unless they find help of course.

Would a deal for Mayfield make any sense? Would it even be an upgrade?

Yes and yes.

Well, I should preface that by saying the Panthers should only make a deal for Mayfield if the asking price is extremely cheap and the Browns are willing to cover much of Mayfield's 2022 salary. I have a hard time believing Carolina will be content with having two quarterbacks on the roster set to make $18 million each. The Browns know that the market is very small for Mayfield and what they might want is probably not what they're going to get in return.

For instance, the Panthers do not own a second or third round pick in this draft. However, I don't believe they would send that high of a pick to Cleveland anyways unless they offered to pay at least 90% of Mayfield's 2022 salary. If Carolina has to send a future day two pick, this deal won't happen.

As far as the on the field stuff is concerned, it would absolutely be an upgrade over Sam Darnold. Then again, it's hard to throw all the blame on Darnold's shoulders for last year's anemic offense due to the poor protection he had. Although the offensive line was a mess, Darnold still made a bunch of plays/decisions on his own that prove he is not the answer at quarterback for this franchise. Mayfield has had success in the league and if given the right opportunity, he could still be a solid starting quarterback in this league. I mean, this guy did take the Cleveland Browns to the playoffs for the first time since 2003. That in itself is a hell of an accomplishment.

If things don't work out with Mayfield, then you can freely move on next offseason as he will become an unrestricted free agent. The last thing Carolina can do is enter the season with Sam Darnold having no competition for the starting job. GM Scott Fitterer has repeatedly said that competition will be added to the room and I do expect him to stay true to his word.

You can follow us for future coverage by liking us on Facebook & following us Twitter:

Facebook - @PanthersOnSI

Twitter - @SI_Panthers and Schuyler Callihan at @Callihan_.