Baker Mayfield gets a fresh start under Rhule in Carolina

On Wednesday, the Panthers finally made the move that the whole league was waiting on trading for Baker Mayfield in exchange for a conditional mid-round pick. Browns fans can debate whether it was Mayfield's fault that their loaded roster couldn’t get over the hump, but at the end of the day, he brought one of the Browns to relevancy again. Now, he will get that chance as a Carolina Panther. 

The Panthers were one of the only teams truly in the Baker Mayfield sweepstakes, and now have him on a team-friendly deal. This makes the Panthers a team to keep an eye on in the NFC with Mayfield now out for vengeance.

This comes off the Cleveland Browns making one of the biggest deals in NFL history acquiring Deshaun Watson. Instead of facing defenses across the league, Watson will have to prevail through the court system to escape his sexual assault charges and return to the field. A complete backfire on the plan of John Dorsey and the Browns to get rid of Mayfield and replace him with a true superstar.

The Browns will most likely have to go through most of the season if not the full year with Jacoby Brissett as their starting quarterback. Even though Brissett is a respected backup quarterback around the league the Browns might regret their decision to give up on Mayfield. Especially, if he succeeds on his new team who now has more upside heading into the new season than the Browns do in a loaded AFC.

The Panthers currently have one of the most interesting quarterback rooms in the league. They had already shown a lack of confidence in Sam Darnold when they selected Mat Corrall in the third round of the draft, now the uncertainty is even higher. 

Mayfield has proven that he can compete and lead his team to the playoffs even if Browns ownership thinks he’s immature. He also will now play an easier divisional schedule even with matchups against Tom Brady. Mayfield's experience in the best division in football, and playing as an underdog in college will provide much-needed experience to a young coaching staff and roster in Carolina.

Considering that Darnold had trouble holding PJ Walker at bay last year from taking his job. It looks as if Mayfield is the front runner to be the quarterback of the Panthers as they head into camp, coming off their biggest move of the offseason. 

The Panthers have had horrific luck with injury in their last few seasons. If that can change this year and contributors like Christian McCaffrey and DJ Moore can stay on the field, Carolina should be in the hunt towards the middle of the season. Their offensive line improving with the addition of Icky Ekwonu should help both Mayfield and McCaffrey. 

Even if this isn’t a total success in year one of Mayfield's time in Carolina they will now have the option of paying him next season instead of developing a new quarterback, which is a step in the right direction for a young talented team like the Panthers who need to look at all options.

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-By: Sam Kirk