Panthers trading for Browns' Baker Mayfield not 'imminent'?

Heading into the final full weekend of spring, little has changed regarding the quarterback statuses of the Carolina Panthers and Cleveland Browns. 

Carolina remains interested in acquiring a "significant" upgrade over veteran Sam Darnold but only at what it considers to be a reasonable price. Cleveland, meanwhile, now has Deshaun Watson atop its depth chart and wants to trade Baker Mayfield but allegedly isn't yet ready to eat a massive chunk of the fully guaranteed $18.858 million Mayfield is owed for 2022 to complete such a transaction. 

It was reported earlier on Friday that the Panthers are still doing "due diligence in terms of looking into" Mayfield as "the football player and the person." Per Chris Rosvoglou of The Spun, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport provided an update during an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" and left little doubt that Mayfield would be in Carolina today if salary wasn't an issue. 

"How they [the Browns and Panthers] split the money is very difficult," Rapoport explained. "I know there has been some discussion. I don't get the sense anything is completely imminent right now."

There is currently zero indication the teams have even discussed a potential Mayfield-for-Darnold swap, as some have suggested, and it's believed individuals around the NFL assume both Mayfield and San Francisco 49ers signal-caller Jimmy Garoppolo will eventually be cut by their employers before training-camp sessions open late next month. 

For now, those waiting for the Panthers to trade for either Mayfield or Garoppolo shouldn't hold their breaths.