Could Panthers trade for Baker Mayfield after first round of 2022 NFL Draft?

As of Thursday afternoon, both the Carolina Panthers and Seattle Seahawks seem to be in no hurry to trade for Cleveland Browns wantaway quarterback Baker Mayfield, who has lost his job to Deshaun Watson and is owed $18.858 million of fully guaranteed salary for the 2022 season. 

One NFL Network personality predicted on Wednesday that the Seahawks will ultimately send a fourth-round pick to Cleveland to land Mayfield's services. Seattle has 2019 second-round selection Drew Lock atop the depth chart after it traded one-time Super Bowl champion Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos last month. 

However, Jake Trotter of ESPN noted for a piece published on Thursday that Carolina "appears" to be the "team to watch" as it pertains to Mayfield.

"If they pass on a quarterback with the sixth overall pick, that could grease the wheels for a Mayfield trade to Carolina, which struck out in its own pursuit of Watson," Trotter wrote of the Panthers. 

Trotter added: "If Mayfield is not traded around the draft, he could remain on Cleveland’s books for the foreseeable future as the Browns wait for a quarterback injury elsewhere — or until Cleveland decides to eat enough of his $19 million salary to make a trade palatable for another team." 

Back on Tuesday, Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer told reporters he "would feel comfortable" grabbing a quarterback with the sixth pick on Thursday night. If he doesn't go in that direction, it could be because he instead wants to make a move for a proven commodity who already has a playoff win on his résumé.