Carolina Panthers 'have thoroughly looked into' trading for Browns QB Baker Mayfield

Almost immediately after the Carolina Panthers selected North Carolina State offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu with the sixth overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday night, fans and analysts alike speculated Carolina was preparing to make a move for former Cleveland Browns starting quarterback Baker Mayfield. 

It was reported earlier on Thursday that the Panthers could wait until the draft's first round concluded before putting in a legitimate offer for Mayfield, who is owed $18.858 million of fully guaranteed salary for 2022 and is surplus to requirements in Cleveland with Deshaun Watson now atop the depth chart. The Houston Texans are also allegedly among a so-called "handful of teams" interested in the 2018 first overall draft choice. 

On Friday, Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network reported that "the Panthers have thoroughly looked into Mayfield" but could still "acquire a rookie" who would either sit behind or compete with veteran Sam Darnold. Additionally, Wilson notes: "Unless the Browns pay a large portion of Mayfield’s $18.858 million salary, a prospective trade could be extremely difficult to pull off." 

Wilson is hardly the first person to suggest the Browns will have to accept a significant financial hit and/or package Mayfield with a draft pick to get him off the books this spring or summer. While Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer told reporters Thursday night he will "look at every opportunity out there" regarding the quarterback position, there's no sign any would-be buyer is all that close to completing a trade for Mayfield before the draft ends. 

Patience could be a virtue for Fitterer and other executives thinking about adding Mayfield to their quarterback rooms.