Now that quarterback Baker Mayfield has passed his physical and the trade that sends him to the Panthers is official, more details are starting to emerge about the process that got him out of Cleveland. One tidbit comes from TheAthletic.com’s Zac Jackson and Joe Person, who put together a timeline of trade talks between the Browns and Panthers. According to their report, the two teams agreed to the compensation plan during May and early June — Carolina would send Cleveland a conditional fifth-round pick that would become a fourth-round pick if Mayfield played 70 percent of the games. offensive spasms of the Panthers . But Mayfield’s pay continued to be a sticking point. According to the report, the Panthers originally 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 $18.86 million guaranteed salary. Head coach Matt Rhule and general manager Scott Fitterer wanted Mayfield to be part of Carolina’s minicamp to learn offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo’s scheme. However, Panthers owner David Tepper reportedly did not want to overpay for Mayfield, who he viewed as a depreciating asset. The Panthers eventually completed the deal by working out a contract that allows Mayfield to earn back the surrendered incentives of $3.5 million. This allowed the parties to agree on the trade on July 5, with the publication taking place on July 6. The Browns are picking up $10.5 million of Mayfield’s 2022 salary, with Carolina paying $4.86 million.
