Baker Mayfield Trade Rumors: Panthers Talks Halted; CAR Drafts QB Matt Corral

At one point on Friday, it appeared as though Baker Mayfield might shortly have a new home. 

According to ESPN's Kimberley A. Martin, the Carolina Panthers were hot on the trail of the veteran quarterback:

One sticking point in negotiations was Mayfield's contract, however, putting a pause on negotiations for the time being:

It's possible that Mayfield's contract, combined with the Panthers trading up in the third round to draft Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral, could be the end of Carolina's interest. 

Alongside the rookie, the Panthers have Sam Darnold on the roster, though he struggled yet again in 2021, throwing for 2,527 yards, nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions while completing just 59.9 percent of his passes. He was sacked 35 times in 12 games. 

Darnold is just 24 but has never resembled a franchise quarterback in his four NFL seasons, with a 17-32 overall record. It's evident that a Panthers team with an otherwise solid roster and playoff expectations will need to upgrade at quarterback. 

The team decided against doing so in the first two rounds of the draft, selecting offensive tackle Ickey Ekwonu with the No. 6 overall pick Thursday. The Panthers didn't have a second-round pick. 

Mayfield, meanwhile, seemed like an obvious trade target after the Cleveland Browns acquired Deshaun Watson. 

The 27-year-old didn't exactly light it up last year himself, throwing for 3,010 yards, 17 touchdowns and 13 interceptions while completing just 60.5 percent of his passes, but he also dealt with a tuberosity fracture in his left shoulder and a torn labrum, impacting his play.

Mayfield had surgery for the labrum injury in January. 

If the Panthers had pulled the trigger on a Mayfield trade, the hope would have been that he closely resembled the player who led the Browns to an 11-5 record in 2020 while throwing for 26 touchdowns against just eight interceptions. 

That player would be a clear upgrade over Darnold and a viable gamble for the Panthers. But after Corral's selection, it's unclear if Carolina will continue to pursue Mayfield.