Mr. Scot

Joe Person breaks down the process that led to Mayfield being a Panther, a process he refers to as "a two month dance that was more like a game of chicken". How the Mayfield trade happened (subscription required) Excerpts: A few weeks after Cleveland won the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes in March, Browns general manager Andrew Berry began talking to Carolina GM Scott Fitterer to try to find a home in Charlotte for their displaced and unhappy quarterback. The two men — both former scouts — would spend a lot of time on the phone together over the ensuing weeks, neither wanting to budge when it came to how much each would pay toward Mayfield’s guaranteed $18.858 million salary for 2022. ... Multiple sources told The Athletic that while the Browns discussed Mayfield’s situation with other teams during “routine” offseason discussions, the Panthers were the only serious suitor. With trade terms long having been agreed upon and only financial particulars left to be settled, the Browns granted the Panthers permission to speak with Mayfield and his representation around the time of minicamps. Concessions by all sides, including Mayfield’s willingness to take a pay cut, helped get the deal done July 5, just after the long, holiday weekend. ... News of the trade broke Wednesday. By Thursday, Mayfield was cutting a Bahamas vacation short to fly to Charlotte for a physical and to sign with his new team, ending a relationship with the Browns that had been broken beyond repair. The Athletic spoke to officials with both teams and a source close to Mayfield to chronicle the various starts and stops, as well as the key moments that eventually led to the 27-year-old quarterback touching down in Charlotte. March/April After watching Sam Darnold struggle with turnovers and what Matt Rhule calls “catastrophic plays” in Darnold’s first season in Carolina, the Panthers were clear about wanting to upgrade the position. The Browns were less clear about their plans with Mayfield, but a breakup seemed inevitable as soon as the Browns’ contingent flew to Houston to pitch Watson on March 15. Before that meeting was even over, Mayfield tweeted what was a part-thank you and part-goodbye to Browns fans. ... Some in the Panthers organization viewed Mayfield as a possible backup plan, though Fitterer, Rhule and new offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo also were focused on the quarterbacks in the draft. Without a pick in the second or third rounds, the Panthers weren’t sure if one would fall to them. Berry and Fitterer had worked together on the second night of the 2021 draft as the Browns traded up with the Panthers in the second round to acquire the selection that was used on linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. That impromptu deal was done with the Panthers on the clock at pick No. 52, but the Berry-Fitterer conversation on the second night of the 2022 draft involved a more obvious potential match. The Browns were moving on from a starting-caliber quarterback, and the Panthers were in search of one. From the Cleveland side of that first conversation, it was made clear that the Browns were looking for a second-day pick for Mayfield — and wanted the Panthers to pay about half of Mayfield’s salary. That price was too steep for the Panthers, especially when three quarterbacks slid to the third round — Desmond Ridder, Malik Willis and Corral, who the Panthers eventually traded up and selected at No. 94 as a developmental option. ... Fitterer and Berry agreed to get through the rest of the draft weekend and circle back on Mayfield a couple of weeks later closer to organized team activity practices, which began in mid-May. The Browns initially asked for more than they realistically knew they would get because they were never going to be rushed into a Mayfield trade. ... The Browns knew they’d have to swallow at least some of Mayfield’s salary, and they also knew it would be a potential sticking point. May/June The Panthers weren’t in a hurry to re-engage with Cleveland, in part because they knew they were the only suitor. Externally, a lot of dots connected Mayfield and what appears to be a rebuilding Seattle team, but the Seahawks never made a real trade inquiry. Fitterer, who had spent 20 years in Seattle’s front office, would have known if the Seahawks were serious about Mayfield. ... When Fitterer and Berry resumed the Mayfield negotiations, they came to an agreement on what the draft-pick compensation would look like. The Panthers would send Cleveland a conditional fifth-round pick in 2024, which would become a fourth-round selection if Mayfield played 70 percent of the offensive snaps in 2022. But they still had to figure out the financials. Berry called Tom Mills, Mayfield’s Colorado-based agent, and told him the Panthers and Browns had the framework in place but it would be up to Mills to work out the money piece of it with the Panthers. ... With minicamp approaching, Carolina initially wanted Mayfield to take a pay cut of more than $7 million. But Mayfield was only willing to give up $3.5 million of his guaranteed money. Fitterer and Rhule had hoped to have Mayfield in Charlotte before minicamp so he could begin learning McAdoo’s offense and getting familiar with his teammates. But with Tepper, the NFL’s richest owner, dug in, the Panthers ended minicamp with Mayfield still on Cleveland’s roster. July With Fitterer preparing for a trip to New York with his wife and Berry also taking time off, both sides agreed it would be beneficial to wrap up the deal by or shortly after the Fourth of July. By the end of June, what had been a wide financial gulf between the Browns and Panthers had narrowed to a difference of $1 million. The end was in sight. Mills began working with Panthers vice president of football administration Samir Suleiman on an incentives package that would give Mayfield a chance to earn back the $3.5 million he was giving up if the Panthers made the playoffs and/or reached specified thresholds for wins and offensive statistics. Mayfield also would be rewarded for personal accomplishments like a Pro Bowl selection. When the dust settled, the Browns agreed to pay $10.5 million of Mayfield’s reworked salary, with the Panthers chipping in $4.86 million. ... As Baylor’s coach, Rhule faced Mayfield once when Oklahoma visited Waco during Mayfield’s Heisman Trophy season of 2017. Mayfield threw for 283 yards and three touchdowns in the Sooners’ 49-41 win, with one of the touchdowns coming one play after Mayfield picked up an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Rhule talked to former Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley about Mayfield in recent weeks, and Rhule and Fitterer were both convinced Mayfield was worth pursuing. Mayfield liked the idea of having a chance to start in Carolina before becoming a free agent after the season. .. All that remained was Cleveland and Carolina agreeing on the financials. After two months, countless texts and phone calls and some interrupted vacations, it finally came to fruition.

...and one that he was very high on this year.

Throughout that whole clip, I just kept waiting for somebody to grab a tape measure

Not sure what this is from, but I'd enjoy seeing the full clip.

Better chance at a happy ending?

For what it's worth, Mayfield does now appear on the team's official roster. His jersey number is listed as "#--"

There is that, but that wouldn't be my main concern. Guys who produce championship seasons with one team and then move on to another hardly ever reproduce their success. More often than not, they fail to recapture whatever magic was there before. Also, from what I've read the Saints still have his rights and would want him back, so I have a feeling getting him might require a trade package that makes the Deshaun Watson deal look like child's play. Beyond that, Payton might want an awful lot of control. And while I acknowledge he's more qualified to ask for something like that than Matt Rhule would be, I'm still not up for it. To top it all off, he'd have to want to come here. Several stories written over the years have had him wanting to coach the Cowboys, not us. It's just not something I see happening, and I'm genuinely not sure I would want it to.

Is it?

Said elsewhere I could easily see a scenario where the offense is much improved but the defense is...not.

I wouldn't think so. Maybe just some tweaks to account for salary he gave up, etc. But ya never know

Should we take that to mean there are...changes to be made? I know they have to adjust the salary he gave up but still...

Last season gave pretty clear evidence that they can.

Without a credible threat on the other side? That's a tough sell. Gets even tougher when you remember that teams have figured out they can run on him.

Neither do the Chiefs anymore...

Former Eagles team President Joe Banner believes the Panthers should have gone ahead and signed Mayfield to a one-year extension. I'd guess the Darnold experience probably prevented that from happening.

They're probably going to need to be good because this year's pass rush isn't likely as good as last year's. Throw in that teams realized they could run on us last year. If they still can, that doesn't help either.

Reasonable take, and one consistent with what we've been hearing. Where it gets sticky is that the Panthers are going to want a potential rate partner to be willing to take on some of Darnold's salary. Even to a team in need, that's a hard sell.

Isn't he the only quarterback on the roster for next year?

Also kinda need Ben McAdoo to be right about Corral but wrong about Mayfield

Reid's probably the best WCO coach in the game right now. Gotta be between him and Payton, I'd think. He's arguably one of the best since Bill Walsh but his postseason record doesn't really hold up that well. (Holmgren and Shanahan were better on that front)

Yeah... wouldn't put money on either of those things happening.

The scenario that keeps running through my mind for the coming season is one where the offense finally looks good...but the defense breaks down. I'm not a big Phil Snow fan so this outcome isn't exactly hard to imagine.