NFL Trade Rumors: Panthers' Interest in Baker Mayfield, Jimmy Garoppolo Still Alive

The Carolina Panthers are reportedly still open to acquiring Baker Mayfield or Jimmy Garoppolo despite drafting Matt Corral.

"The door is open slightly for [Matt Corral] to potentially take the job because the Panthers are still essentially looking for veteran quarterback help," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said Sunday on SportsCenter. "They would like somebody else; that's why the Baker Mayfield situation, Jimmy Garoppolo might not be completely dead at this point. And so it certainly seems [Sam Darnold] is the favorite to start. They know Matt Corral is a bit of a project, a little like Malik Willis, because of the offense he came from in Ole Miss. He's going to need some time to learn the nuances of the NFL game, but they love the talent. So, he could at least make this interesting for sure."

The Panthers were regularly mentioned as suitors for Mayfield and Garoppolo heading into the draft, but both players went untraded over draft weekend. Carolina used a third-round pick on Corral, who is expected to compete with Sam Darnold for the starting job. 

Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer said, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk:

"“Sam is the number one guy right now. He has every opportunity to take it and run with it. We hope he does well. We’ve seen improvement already under [offensive coordinator] Ben McAdoo. He’s working hard, he’s throwing the ball well. He’s just got to take it and run with it. He’s got to own the position. The one thing we’re looking to do is stabilize the position. It’s been up and down, up and down. "

"We’re bringing in Matt Corral. P.J. Walker‘s already here. We’ll see how it goes. He’s in the lead right now, but until someone really owns that position, gives us an opportunity to win, it will always be up for grabs.”"

Darnold has struggled mightily over the course of his four-year career and did not show any marked signs of improvement last season in Carolina. He threw for 2,527 yards and nine touchdowns against 13 interceptions, marking the second straight year he's thrown more picks than touchdowns.

While neither Mayfield nor Garoppolo are considered elite options, they would be a massive upgrade over Darnold in nearly every respect. With coach Matt Rhule entering the 2022 season on the hot seat, it may be advisable for the Panthers to push their chips in and acquire a veteran who can make them more competitive.