(20) NFL Rumors on Twitter: "#Panthers HC Matt Rhule said Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield will split first-team reps in camp." / Twitter I would think Rhule would be on the hot seat if the Panthers struggle again this year. While Mayfield hasn't lived up to his #1 selection he is certainly better than Sam. I would be shocked if Baker isn't the starting QB for them.
Mayfield should win this going away. He's very good at taking other QB's jobs. Did it twice in college. Walked on and stole the job.
Unless Sam has been hiding his light under a bushel, this should be no contest - Mayfield has been far better than Darnold in their careers so far. He's had better weapons, but I don't believe that that accounts for all of the difference.
I think he already is on the hotseat. If they aren't competing for a playoff spot he is probably done in the NFL after this season.
Done as a starter maybe. Geno Smith is still around 7 years after flunking out of the Jets starting position as a fairly well compensated backup. My take on Darnold if he loses the starting job this season is he winds up in California, Las Vegas or Arizona as the backup next year. Gets him closer to home and nobody says no to an ex-#3 pick as a first time backup. Somewhere in the back of their minds they're imagining Darnold breaking out if their #1 gets injured.
Baker is smiling ear to ear knowing he has this job in the bag. Sam although he strikes me as a very nice guy, is not a starting QB in this league. Turnovers, not being able to read a defense consistently, and lack of leadership is his undoing. I honestly question if he will even be in the league in the next 3 years. Should probably consider a coaching career on the amateur level at some point.
Two of Mayfield's first three passes in 7-on-7 drills should have been intercepted. They were the type of mistakes the Panthers are trying to eliminate, the kind Darnold made way too often a year ago, and the reason coach Matt Rhule will continue flip-flopping who works with the first-teamers
all i can say is i am glad this asswipe isnt our HC https://deadspin.com/panthers-coach-matt-rhule-thinks-he-s-still-coaching-co-1849386108
If you have a dicey QB situation you really should be tuning the offense towards what the QB can do. I think the NFL has it bass-ackwards in this regard. If you have a good QB, then fine run whatever system you want because the QB likely can handle it. However if you have big question marks there you really should be looking at what the question marks are capable of and letting them do that. If things work out then you can think about moving the system towards what you'd rather be doing.
