Getty Images Baker Mayfield of the Cleveland Browns.
Carolina Panthers receiver Robby Anderson made it clear that he doesn’t want his team to make a move for Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield.
Anderson voiced his opinion over social media, commenting on a couple of posts that laid out the possibility of Mayfield coming to Carolina.
“Noooooo,” Anderson commented on a post saying that the most likely landing spot for Mayfield was Carolina.
Anderson then doubled down, commenting “facts” on a post that said he does not want the former top overall pick as the Panthers’ quarterback.
Anderson’s comments could make things quite awkward if Mayfield is sent to Carolina. He’s one of the team’s top options in the passing game alongside DJ Moore, totally more than 1,600 yards since landing in Carolina in 2020.
If Mayfield doesn’t come to Carolina, the team would either roll with Sam Darnold after a disappointing season or opt to draft one of the top rookies in the class with the No. 6 overall pick.
Panthers Named Top Landing Spot for Baker Mayfield
The Panthers are currently the favorite to land Mayfield, coming in at +300, per SportsLine. That’s just ahead of the Seahawks (+450) and Lions (+600).
Mayfield landing with the Seahawks has been a consistent rumor since the Browns landed Deshaun Watson, although neither side has shown their cards. Seattle has made some moves at the quarterback position since parting ways with Russell Wilson via blockbuster trade this offseason.
NFL insider Ian Rapoport doesn’t see the Seahawks as the most viable candidate to trade for Mayfield, despite the QB naming the NFC West squad as his most realistic landing spot during a podcast appearance this week.
“He identified the Seahawks as his likely team,” Rapoport said on the Rich Eisen Show. “That was a little surprising to me because I haven’t gotten the sense at all that the Seahawks are that interested. At the salary, they’re not that interested. They’ve added Drew Lock, they’ve added [re-signed] Geno Smith, they may take a quarterback in the draft because I know they’ve done a lot of homework. I think they had Desmond Ridder in on Wednesday.”
Would you rather have @bakermayfield or one of these rookie QBs from this year’s #NFLDraft?
@RapSheet on the market for BM6:
Rapoport sees the Panthers as the most “likely” suitor for Mayfield.
“To me, the Carolina Panthers seem to be the most likely spot for Baker Mayfield, or maybe a team brings him in as a high-money backup, like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — that would make some sense to me,” Rapoport said.
Baker Mayfield Felt Disrespected by Browns
The Browns have been trying to gain leverage in the Mayfield trade sweepstakes, which is difficult considering their situation. There are three other quarterbacks on the roster in Deshaun Watson, Joshua Dobbs and Jacoby Brissett, and the relationship between Mayfield and the Browns is non-existent.
“The respect thing is all going to be a personal opinion,” Mayfield said on the YNK Podcast this week. “I feel disrespected, 100% because I was told one thing and they completely did another. That’s what I’m in the middle of right now. And you know what? OK. I got my taste of it because I’ve had four different head coaches in four years, a bunch of different coordinators.”
While the trade market has been nearly non-existent for Mayfield, it’s not as much about his talent as the situation. As mentioned, the Browns have very little leverage and his near $19 million salary has deterred some teams from inquiring. The most likely outcome for the Browns is that they eat either some of his salary or attach draft picks to officially end the Mayfield era in Cleveland.