Baker Mayfield: Carolina Panthers have ‘inside track’ should they be interested

Despite Robby Anderson objecting to the idea, the Carolina Panthers are being labeled as the team with the “inside track” to landing Baker Mayfield

Things have been quiet on the Baker Mayfield front — at least from the Cleveland Browns side of things.

The former No. 1 overall pick did make some waves when he appeared on the YNK podcast, which included him saying he felt “disrespected” by the Browns then seemingly saying the issues he had were due in large part to the lack of consistency around him — which isn’t fair since he had the same coaching staff in 2020 and 2021 as well as playing with all 11 starters from the previous season.

That appearance might hurt his stock even more, which is saying a lot since teams already seemed to be out on him. Still, there could be suitors and Mary Kay Cabot listed a couple of them, suggesting the Carolina Panthers had the inside track — even though receiver Robby Anderson was adamant he didn’t want Mayfield on his team.

Anderson twice used social media to say Mayfield isn’t who he wants to catch passes from, which seems harsh considering he did work with Sam Darnold last season.

Would Baker Mayfield fit in Carolina?

While it might not be Anderson’s top choice, MKC says Mayfield could actually find success in Carolina since his style of play fits with what new offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo wants to do.

"“If Mayfield does land in Carolina, he’s seemingly well-suited to new offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo’s uptempo West Coast offense, one that features a lot of the shotgun that Mayfield usually excels in.” — Mary Kay Cabot, Cleveland.com"

MKC also said the Panthers have been high on Kenny Pickett and Malik Willis in the draft. That means Mayfield could be stuck in limbo as teams like the Panthers wait to see who they can land in the draft.

Should Carolina be the destination for Mayfield, he would also be reunited with Rashard Higgins who signed in free agency this offseason.

What other teams could be interested in Baker Mayfield?

During his appearance on the aforementioned podcast, Mayfield said the Seattle Seahawks make the most sense. However, Mary Kay Cabot says they have not been “hot on the trail” suggesting the recent signing of Geno Smith means they want to go with Smith and Drew Lock rather than Mayfield.

She did say Ian Rapoport claims the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are still interested as a backup, which could lead to Mayfield becoming the heir to Tom Brady one day.

What really stands out is how teams aren’t knocking down Cleveland’s door trying to land Mayfield. He might find success elsewhere but right now, his options seem incredibly limited.