CHARLOTTE, N.C. – At some point soon after next week’s mandatory minicamp, the Carolina Panthers They will decide if they feel comfortable with their surroundings. Sam Darnold Compete against rookies Matt Corral Former XFL star P.J. Walker They can trade for a veteran or take over the position of starting quarterback. Baker Mayfield Or Jimmy Garoppolo.
ESPN NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky said he “loves” Darnold. He still believes the third pick of the 2018 draft “can be one of the best quarterbacks Despite a 17-32 record in his first season, he was still considered to be in the league.”
Orlovsky also stated that Mayfield would make a great team with the Panthers. disgruntled Cleveland Browns quarterback, it’s not out of disrespect for Darnold. It’s out of respect for what he thinks Mayfield could do for Carolina.
“They have a chance to be really good with solid quarterback play,” Orlovsky said.
Orlovsky loves the way Scott Fitterer, general manager of the Panthers, strengthened the roster following the failed attempt to acquire them. Deshaun WatsonMayfield was rendered ineligible by a Browns player, whose actions made him unstoppable.
Darnold, Mayfield and others are on a prove-it phase as they enter the final years of their rookie contracts. Combine this with their four years of NFL experience and they are more likely to push each other to improve. This makes them better options for third-round rookie Corral.
Mayfield’s biggest advantage over Corral or Darnold is his 29 wins in 59 starts. The same argument could be made for San Francisco 49ers Garoppolo quarterback, who is 33-14 when he starts.
But Garoppolo’s 2022 cap figure ($26.95 million) makes him less attractive to the Panthers when added to Darnold’s guaranteed salary ($18.8 million). Garoppolo may not be a significant upgrade for the Panthers, but Mayfield is.
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We know that the Panthers will not add a veteran quarterback to their roster, as Mayfield was the first pick in the 2018 draft.
They are happy with Darnold so far. On Wednesday, Darnold had what coach Matt Rhule called his best practice ever since joining the Panthers last season.
“I thought Sam was outstanding,” Rhule said. “He has taken a very much stoic approach of, ‘Hey, I’m going to control what I can control.’ He can’t control the decisions we make as an organization. By taking that approach, we’ve seen Sam get better and better.”
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Rhule stated that Darnold has to show his worth in games. That’s why it’s important to decide now if the team is comfortable that can happen or if another veteran is needed.
The Panthers would need to make the Browns pay the majority of Mayfield’s 2022 salary ($18.8m), and the Panthers would likely have to send a draft selection to Cleveland in order for a Mayfield deal. That’s where talks were during the draft, when the Browns, according to a league source, were willing to pay only $3.5 million of Mayfield’s salary.
The other option would be if Cleveland released Mayfield, but there isn’t any indication at the moment that will happen. Mayfield could be released and Mayfield would control where he goes. Other teams may be more attractive.
After next week’s minicamps, Rhule will meet with Fitterer to discuss whether adding a veteran makes sense from a financial and competition standpoint.
There is one thing that is certain, especially for Orlovsky: Mayfield would be a better choice in 2022 than Corral.
This makes sense, considering what Ben McAdoo, the new Carolina offensive coordinator, said recently about how much the rookie must learn before training camp starts in July in order to be in a position for competition for a job.
Not necessarily a starter role, but a key role.
It all starts with communication and understanding how the pro system compares to the spread offense Corral ran at Ole Miss.
“Really, it’s like he’s trying to learn a different language he hasn’t spoken before,” McAdoo said. “There’s verbal and visual cues he has to know and learn. It’s going to take some time.”
While Darnold would be McAdoo’s starter if the season started today, the quarterback also has a lot to learn in a completely new system.
“In my mind, nobody is out there ready to fight for a job, fight for a role,” McAdoo said.
McAdoo is not even willing to commit to what his offense will look like, other than it won’t be anything like the past two years under OC Joe Brady. McAdoo might have a different look than what he ran with the Patriots in his four seasons. New York Giants As a head coach (2016-17), and as a coordinator (2014-15). Eli Manning under center.
It was a quarterback-friendly system that was built around a power running sport.
“The offense is going to look far different than probably [what I was] McAdoo explained that McAdoo was involved with the past. “That’s because our players are different. We’re going to do our best job to tailor it to the players we have.”
This isn’t an ideal situation heading into minicamp from Tuesday to Thursday for Carolina, which has had seven different quarterbacks start at least one game since 2018.
That’s why the Panthers are keeping options — including a possible return by Cam Newton — open while trying solidify the position. And that’s why McAdoo wasn’t ready to say whether Corral could be ready to challenge Darnold if he enters the season with them as his top two choices.
“So right now, we’ll just let things play out,” McAdoo said. “We’ll teach, we’ll learn, we’ll communicate and see how the chips fall.”