Baker Mayfield is still in limbo after the Browns' trade for Deshaun Watson, but it appears that at least one team is emerging as a potential landing spot for the former No. 1 overall pick.That would be the Panthers. Carolina has "the inside track" to acquire Mayfield, according to . She also reports that there are "several teams" interested in Mayfield's services.The Panthers are in need of a quarterback. They mi sed out on Watson and the other big-name quarterbacks on the trade market, and currently have only Sam Darnold and PJ Walker on their 90-man roster at the position. Neither were effective starters last season.As such, Carolina is widely expected to add a quarterback during the draft. Many mock drafts have them taking Malik Willis or Kenny Pickett with the No. 6 overall selection. However, if the team acquires Mayfield, they will likely look to take an offensive tackle with the sixth pick instead.NFL MOCK DRAFT: Mayfield would be a sensible target for the Panthers. He had his share of i sues in 2021 while battling
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a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder, but he threw for 3,563 yards, 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 2020 while leading Cleveland to its first playoff win since 1994.That said, Joe Person of The Athletic reports Mayfield is "not the only guy" on the Panthers' list of quarterback options. So, it's not a foregone conclusion that they will trade for him, especially given the value remaining on his one-year contract.RE Baker Mayfield: The former No. 1 overall pick is among the QB options for the Panthers, but he's not the only guy on the list. There's also the i sue of Mayfield's $18.8M salary (
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same as Sam Darnold's). Browns would have to help. Happy Easter. Joe Person (@josephperson) It's unclear exactly which other quarterbacks are on the Panthers' list. Jimmy Garoppolo represents the top trade candidate in the NFL beyond Mayfield while 40-year-old Ryan Fitzpatrick is the best free agent available. Cam Newton is also out there, but after his rough showing with the Panthers last season, it's hard to imagine him returning to Carolina again.NFL MOCK DRAFT: Indeed, Mayfield looks like the best veteran option the Panthers could acquire. It's just a matter of whether they want to pay him $18.8 million after a down year.The Panthers have enough cap space just under $31.2 million, per to fit Mayfield's contract in with ease. But if they don't believe he is worth that price, they may look to get the Browns to pay part of his contract.As Cabot reports, the Browns haven't been willing to do that yet. However, they may consider eating some money if it can improve the compensation they get in return for Mayfield.To this point, the Browns havent wanted to pay any of Mayfields freight with a new club, but in the interest of closing the tumultuous Mayfield era, all options are on the table. It also depends on how the deal is structured and what the Browns are getting in return, which would likely have to be one or more picks.Cabot also notes that Brownsgeneral manager Andrew Berry won't take "a suboptimal deal" in order to part with Mayfield. So, while a deal involving the veteran quarterback could happen as the 2022 NFL Draft draws nearer, it's far from guaranteed.MORE: Still, the Panthers seem to be the top suitor for Mayfield. They are one of the few NFL teams that don't have their quarterback situation figured
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out along with the Seahawks who currently have Drew Lock, Geno Smith and Jacob Eason at the position.
