NFL insider details how close the Panthers were to acquiring Baker Mayfield

Rumors swirled during the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft surrounding the Carolina Panthers and Baker Mayfield. Saturday, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler detailed just how interested the Panthers were in the Cleveland Browns quarterback.

Fowler confirmed the Panthers and Browns had conversations about adding Mayfield during the draft, but Carolina wanted to see how the board shook out. The Panthers, of course, ended up taking former Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral in the third round, likely taking them out of the running for Mayfield.

However, if Carolina couldn’t get a quarterback it wanted, a deal could’ve happened, according to Fowler.

“They discussed it last night, and it was a wild night a little bit in Carolina because they were at least openly discussing the possibility of adding Baker Mayfield,” Fowler said on SportsCenter. “What it would take, whether they’d want to take on some of that $19 million that’s guaranteed. I’m told that the Panthers have been largely torn about Mayfield. Some like him, some thought [to] go in a different direction. So the Panthers said let’s see how the boards fall on Friday night … and see what quarterbacks might be available late.

“As they continued to watch, and you saw no quarterbacks taken in the second round, they said, ‘Hey, this is good news for us. We like some of these guys.’ They liked Matt Corral, they liked Sam Howell, who’s still available now. They end up taking Corral, but either of those guys, they would’ve been pretty happy with and they figured let’s get the cost-effective option with a young quarterback we can put in the room with Sam Darnold, have those guys compete a little bit. Baker Mayfield’s probably not totally off the table, but I checked with a source that said it’s at least for now dead.”

Panthers GM Scott Fitterer: Carolina no longer pursuing Baker Mayfield

Head coach Matt Rhule was going to bring a quarterback to Carolina this offseason. After whiffing on Sam Darnold as the franchise guy, a fresh face was needed for the Panthers to become a leader. On Friday, they drafted Matt Corral out of Ole Miss in the third round, adding the SEC quarterback to the roster.

Because of the pick, Carolina will no longer pursue Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield, according to general manager Scott Fitterer. The two organizations were reportedly having “active talks” about a trade but with Corral joining the Panthers, those talks are over.