
He's often let down by his footwork and mechanics once defenses speed up his clock, though. When Mayfield is working in rhythm and within the confines of the offensive scheme, he can be deadly accurate. The confidence, pocket movement and natural arm talent he displayed helped turn around a previously winless squad. He set a then-rookie record with 27 touchdown passes. So I think making this move now gives him time to really settle in with some guys.”Īccording to Breer, Mayfield gained the upper hand over Darnold because of his "processing, timing and field vision."Īt times, Mayfield looked like a future franchise quarterback. He’s still adjusting to our mechanics, our footwork. “We’re hoping that he moves the offense,” Rhule told reporters Monday. And the Panthers aren't setting the bar too high for him. Mayfield's performance will play a significant role, too. Protection could be a significant issue all season if the line doesn't come together quickly. Uncertainty remains at left guard, and Ekwonu will need time to develop after being named the starting left tackle. The left side is the potential problem area.
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The Panthers signed guard Austin Corbett and center Bradley Bozeman in free agency and drafted Ikem Ekwonu with this year's sixth overall pick. Right tackle Taylor Moton agreed to a long-term contract extension last summer. Carolina fields one of the league's best young defenses, but leading sack-artist Haason Reddick and starting defensive tackle Daquan Jones left in free agency. Rashard Higgins already developed a strong rapport with Mayfield during their time together with the Browns, but he has never caught more than 39 passes in a season. Moore build upon the career-high 93 catches he hauled in last season? Robbie Anderson can still be a vertical threat, but he initially wasn't thrilled about the idea of playing with Mayfield. But the roster still has plenty of question marks, too.Īfter two injury-plagued seasons, will running back Christian McCaffrey stay healthy? Can wide receiver D.J. A rumor already popped up this offseason that Tepper is "eyeing" Sean Payton as a potential replacement for him, according to Front Office Sports' Michael McCarthy.Ĭarolina is talented and capable of continued improvement. If Carolina struggles again, Rhule could be gone after this season. He didn't turn around Temple or Baylor until his third season with each program, so Tepper probably expects the same with the Panthers. Head coach Matt Rhule has gone 10-23 over the past two seasons. What's going to happen if the Panthers don't emerge as a playoff team and surprise Super Bowl contender this season? Turnover is the most likely answer. Matt Ryan was never a realistic option because the Atlanta Falcons weren't likely to trade him within the division. Their interest in Watson dated back to last season, but the Browns wound up acquiring him instead. This offseason, they "had discussions" with the Seattle Seahawks for Russell Wilson, according to Joseph Person of The Athletic, but nothing materialized. Last year, the Panthers failed to swing a deal for Matthew Stafford. And until you have that guy, you’re evaluating, evaluating, evaluating every year." … Unless you have that guy for sure that gets you to playoffs and Super Bowls, you have to keep reevaluating that because that’s the only thing that matters is Super Bowls.

That’s the most important position on the field. "It's an ongoing process and it’s a question of who can be that guy that can help you win. And that’s what we’ll constantly go through." "I think when you get to quarterbacks and NFL in general, you always want to try to figure out, do you have the best that’s in the position of this right now? And that’s constant evaluation and re-evaluation of that.

© 2023 Cleveland Browns.In December, Panthers owner David Tepper discussed the importance of finding a long-term answer under center, per the Charlotte Observer's Alaina Getzenberg:
