Baker Mayfield Trade Rumors: Panthers Stay in Play for Browns QB After Ekwonu Pick

The Carolina Panthers could be "back into the picture" for Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield after deciding against taking a signal-caller with the No. 6 overall selection in the NFL draft Thursday.

Carolina opted for North Carolina State offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu, and now Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that the Panthers could be looking into Mayfield as an option.

"This now brings them back into the picture potentially for Baker Mayfield. [Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer] has had some interest in Baker Mayfield for some time. He wanted to see if they came away with a quarterback. Tonight, in the end of course, they do not, so don't be surprised if they circle back on Baker with the Browns in the coming days."

Mayfield, a four-year NFL veteran, is available via trade after the Browns traded for Houston Texans signal-caller Deshaun Watson.

The Panthers' search for a quarterback is on the record. Fitterer told reporters at his pre-draft conference that he spoke with incumbent signal-caller Sam Darnold and said that there was a "pretty good" chance the team would add to the position during draft weekend.

Carolina doesn't pick again until No. 137 overall, which would put them out of the running for the top couple quarterback tiers. Therefore, adding a player like Mayfield makes sense if the Panthers are looking to move on from Darnold.

Mayfield had a down year in 2021, completing 60.5 percent of his passes for 17 touchdowns (13 interceptions) and 7.2 yards per pass attempt. However, he played the year with a partially torn labrum, a fractured humerus bone and an assortment of lower-body injuries. 

Now he'll be headed for a fresh start, but the question is where. The Seattle Seahawks seem like an obvious choice after they traded Russell Wilson, as do the Panthers at this juncture. Otherwise, there doesn't seem like a clear landing spot for Mayfield at the moment.

For now, Mayfield is a Brown, and the Panthers' search for a quarterback continues.