Lea: Maybe Matt Rhule is a genius with the Mayfield trade, but probably not

By Chris Lea, WRAL-TV sports anchor/reporter

The dust has settled some on the Baker Mayfield trade. We've had over 24 hours to process what just happened and to intake the overload of opinions on whether or not this is the right move for the Carolina Panthers.

Personally, I don't like the move.

Now the Panthers have two quarterbacks with losing records who are on expiring contracts and neither seem to be the kind of player a franchise would want to hand the keys over to. The Panthers did pick Matt Corral in the third round of this year's draft, but no one knows if he'll become a franchise QB.

So what's the plan to get that franchise QB? Matt Rhule has had three drafts to figure that out in the first round. However the Panthers have gone through middle of the road or struggling NFL quarterbacks like t-shirts since 2020 instead. Teddy Bridgewater, Sam Darnold, Cam Newton and now Baker Mayfield.

But for as bad as things seem in the quarterback room right now, the thought did cross my mind that maybe, just maybe, there's a hidden genius behind this offseason's moves. Including trading a bag of chips for Mayfield.

Let's start with the players who are returning for 2022. Names like Christian McCaffrey, Shaq Thompson, DJ Moore, Brian Burns, Robby Anderson and even Sam Darnold all should be highly motivated to lead their team to a result better than 5-12 in 2022. McCaffrey alone, coming off of two injury-riddled seasons, should be motivated to try to remain healthy and show why he's one of the top running backs in the NFL like he was in 2020. The rest, whether they had great or subpar individual seasons, should have a bad taste in their mouths from the mess that was 2021.

This offseason the Panthers added a few interesting pieces, quarterbacks aside.

Ikem Ekwonu was the first offensive player taken in the draft and gets to play professional football just miles from where he played his high school ball. That should be motivating.

Running back D'Onte Foreman got his second chance in the NFL last year with the Tennessee Titans, masterfully filling in for Derrick Henry after his injury. He totaled just under 700 yards from scrimmage in nine games and now has a chance to give the Panthers a legit one-two punch from the back field.

Austin Corbett won a Super Bowl with the Rams last season and got his money to come east to Charlotte to help solidify one of the worst offensive lines in 2021.

And finally, Mayfield.

He feels like he's been over-looked, embarrassed and left out in the cold by the team that he gave his all to for the last four years, the Cleveland Browns. For all the knocks against Mayfield, in 2020 he did lead the Browns to their first playoff appearance in 18 seasons. Plus, he provided the Browns with the most quarterback consistency the organization has seen since Bernie Kosar, and yet they dumped him for Deshaun Watson.

New offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo was considered one of the best offensive minds in the league before the New York Giants fired him as their head coach in 2017. Since then, he's struggled regaining his footing back in the NFL.

That all leads to head coach Matt Rhule who has his hand on all of this and who is on the hot seat. All of these players and new coaching staff additions are coming into this season with a chip on their shoulder and something to prove. And for Rhule to continue to be an NFL coach heading into the 2023 season, he'll need all of those men to prove whatever that is and bring their best.

Maybe Rhule is betting on the bonds that could be formed by this collection of underdogs. 2022 will be a make it or break it year for many of the main characters that make up the roster and coaching staff and could determine if they will ever sign a meaningful NFL contract again.

I've heard the saying, "if ifs were a fifth, we'd all be drunk." But IF all of this comes together and works, Matt Rhule will look like a genius. He'll be the brilliant puppet-master who's unconventional approach finally paid off after year three.

Maybe it'll happen. Or maybe I've downed so many 'ifs' that it'll put my college weekends at UNCG to shame.

Cheers.