Panthers can’t quit Baker Mayfield, still interested in Browns quarterback

No team is doing more due diligence on Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield than the Carolina Panthers.

Find someone who loves you as much as the Carolina Panthers seem to love Baker Mayfield.

Though still technically employed by the Cleveland Browns, Mayfield is playing on an expiring contract this fall, albeit an incredibly expensive fifth-year option. Despite having just drafted Matt Corral out of Ole Miss, as well as trading for his 2018 NFL Draft classmate Sam Darnold, the Panthers just cannot seem to quit Mayfield. David Tepper clearly wants a Heisman Trophy winner.

CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson reported on Friday afternoon “the Panthers are still doing its due diligence in terms of looking into (quarterback) Baker Mayfield — the football player and the person.”

Carolina Panthers are kicking the tires on Cleveland Browns QB Baker Mayfield

Though Corral is certainly an interesting prospect, Cleveland did take Mayfield No. 1 overall out of Oklahoma for a reason. He was utterly sensational playing in Lincoln Riley’s Air Raid offense at OU. While he lacked the physical attributes to truly be a star in the NFL, there was some belief Mayfield’s personality could be a point of great gravitation inside of a professional locker room.

However, Mayfield quickly fell out of favor in Cleveland, especially after how his fourth year with the club went. He is still on the roster, mostly because of the financial implications of his fifth-year option. Could a team like the Panthers be willing to eat more of that one-year contract than any other team? There is also the giant red elephant in the room known as the Deshaun Watson case…

Frankly, Mayfield is good enough to start somewhere this season, but whether that is in Cleveland, Charlotte, or somewhere else entirely, remains to be seen. What is important though is if Mayfield is able to bounce back from an injury-plagued season. We all knew he was totally beat up, but that did not stop the toxicity from taking over the entire Cleveland locker room last year.

If the Panthers are going to trade for Mayfield, they need to do so well before training camp starts.