Tag: Ben McAdoo

Panthers OC Ben McAdoo provides interesting update on QB battle

Panthers offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo offered a rather interesting analogy when updating the media on the QB battle.

As the Carolina Panthers look for their next starting quarterback, their fans might be excused for having a rather low bar when it comes to the qualification for the player who will take the snaps Week 1.

Ben McAdoo, their offensive coordinator, might be of a similar mind.

When meeting with the media following practice on Tuesday, McAdoo provided an update on the battle between Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield and added a rather colorful analogy:

As long as we don’t resort to cannibalism, I think we have a chance to get out of this pretty good. They’re both going to be better players after we come out of camp and playing really good football. We’re just going to let it play itself out. I think the worst thing you can do is rush to a decision. Just have some patience.

McAdoo also talked about how the two quarterbacks are splitting reps in practice, as the coaching staff wants the battle between the pair of former first-round picks to be both “fair” and “just.”

“Up until this point, when you walked in the room, you didn’t know if it was going to be a cold, dark room or what kind of room is going to be,” the offensive coordinator stated. “But it’s certainly not. It’s a room where these guys are open, and they have conversations and help each other out. They encourage each other. It has been really good to see. They’ve been pros. That’s what you want.”

Earlier this week, it was reported that the job was Mayfield’s “to lose.” According to some who cover the team, such as John Ellis of Fox Sports Upstate, Mayfield has been on point during camp:

No colorful analogies needed there.

Panthers training camp tracker: Day No. 11

Panthers QB Baker Mayfield followed up a good Monday with an even stronger Tuesday.

The Carolina Panthers wrapped up their penultimate practice of 2022 training camp on Tuesday. And as we inch closer to actual play, it seems as though we’re inching closer to a certain newcomer taking the reins under center.

Here are the top takeaways on the 11th outing in Spartanburg.

Panthers OC Ben McAdoo wants QB competition to ‘play itself out’

Monday felt like a big win for Baker Mayfield in the Panthers’ QB competition. But OC Ben McAdoo stressed that they have to let all their positional battles play out.

Between the early report from NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport and what actually happened on the field right after it, Monday felt like a very big win for Baker Mayfield in the Carolina Panthers’ quarterback competition. But as far as offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo is concerned, this competition is far from over.

Prior to Tuesday’s practice, McAdoo hit the podium for the first time in quite some time. So, naturally, he was peppered with questions about the team’s ever popular battle under center.

He began by making one thing clear—that they’re giving every guy, no matter the position, a fair chance to compete.

“Those guys, they’re out there battlin’. They’re out there competin’,” he said in kicking off his media availability. “Right now, the last thing we wanna do is be instant evaluators, right? So we wanna give everybody an opportunity to go out there and put their best football on tape and then we’ll let it play itself out.”

Mayfield put some of his best football, or at least some of his best throws, on tape yesterday. Save for an underwhelming finish in two-minute drills, the fifth-year passer made a few eye-opening plays—specifically ones to wideout Robbie Anderson and tight end Tommy Tremble.

As for Sam Darnold’s day, the 25-year-old had to shrug off erroneous rumors of a potential trade out of town while fighting for his job. And that, in a nutshell, is exactly what McAdoo and the Panthers probably don’t want.

“First of all, what I talked to the offense about when we first got together was I think it’s important we all have respect—because we have position battles everywhere,” he added. “This is normal. It’s just probably abnormal at the quarterback position, right? But we talked about respect is important, empathy is important. You have to be just.”

We’ll soon see how this competition literally plays out, as the Panthers are set to lock up with the Washington Commanders for their first preseason tilt on Saturday.

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Fantasy football: Checking in on Carolina’s tight end situation

Is there anything of note to be found for fantasy purposes?

If you’re looking for a situation that’s rife with uncertainty and has no shortage of variables, then you have arrived at your destination because seemingly everything with the Carolina Panthers is in a state of flux. That starts at the top where head coach Matt Rhule could be entering a make-or-break campaign just three seasons into a seven-year, $62 million deal that convinced Rhule to leave Baylor.

He’ll turn to Ben McAdoo as his new offensive coordinator, a curious move given McAdoo hasn’t filled a high-profile role since being fired as the New York Giants head coach following the 2017 season. In fairness, he has proven to be a competent play-caller.

Things remain murky at quarterback as well with incumbent Sam Darnold now joined by former No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield, who was acquired from the Cleveland Browns, marking the second straight offseason the Panthers have traded for a quarterback from the class of 2018. Beyond an encouraging start, Darnold was mostly unimpressive last year and would seem to be on the outside looking in as we head into training camp despite the expected “open competition” talk.

Mayfield suffered through a difficult 2021 that saw the Browns lose confidence in his ability to lead them where they wanted to go and ultimately prompted a trade for Deshaun Watson. Once that move was made, Mayfield’s fate in Cleveland was sealed. While Mayfield is far from a sure thing, don’t read too much into his struggles last year as he played through a difficult shoulder injury that required offseason surgery to correct. Prior to that, the former Oklahoma Sooner averaged 3,705 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions per season; the turnovers are an issue to be sure, but he’s been more successful than Darnold.

During his time in Cleveland, Mayfield worked with some talented tight ends, most notably David Njoku and Austin Hooper (now with the Tennessee Titans). A year ago, that tandem combined for 74 catches, 820 yards, and seven TDs. Those aren’t huge numbers, but if limiting Mayfield’s interceptions is a focus it could lead to shorter throws to tight ends as well as talented but oft injured running back Christian McCaffrey. With that in mind, let’s look at the top two tight ends in Carolina.

Winners and losers from Panthers’ trade for QB Baker Mayfield

The winners and losers of Wednesday’s Baker Mayfield trade go even beyond the Panthers organization itself.

On Wednesday, the Carolina Panthers and Cleveland Browns finally came together on a deal for quarterback Baker Mayfield. And, just like most deals, it’ll cause a ripple effect on its related parties.

So, here’s who will be facing some change—both positive and negative—as a result of the trade.

What the Wires are saying about the Baker Mayfield trade

Months in the making, the Cleveland Browns send Baker Mayfield to the Carolina Panthers. How does he fit with his new team?

Baker Mayfield is heading to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for a conditional 2024 fifth-round pick. Mayfield joins a quarterback room that includes Sam Darnold and Matt Corral but looks like the presumptive starter for the Panthers in 2022.

To make the deal happen, Mayfield took a $3 million salary reduction and the Browns will pay $10.5 million of his 2022 salary.

It was a fantastic move for the Panthers who gave up very little in terms of compensation but receive a player that has played in 60 games in his NFL career and thrown for more than 14,000 yards. While his experience in Cleveland might have been a bit up and down, he’s still a veteran player that has playoff experience and the Panthers could use that.

There was some great reaction to the trade from around the NFL and from Sooners fans as well on social media. Here, let’s take a look at what PanthersWire, BrownsWire, and TouchdownWire had to say about the trade that went down on Wednesday.

Revisiting Panthers OC Ben McAdoo’s past comments on Baker Mayfield

Panthers OC Ben McAdoo wasn’t exactly high on his new QB Baker Mayfield back in 2018.

Wide receiver Robbie Anderson isn’t the only member of the Carolina Panthers organization that said some sorta sideways things about Baker Mayfield in the past. Oh, hey there, offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo!

After the 2018 NFL draft, the New York Post conducted an interview with the former Giants head coach to gauge his feelings about the incoming quarterback class. When asked about Mayfield, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 overall pick by the Cleveland Browns, McAdoo wasn’t exactly in love.

“He’s got an edge to him, I like that. He’s gonna lead, they’re gonna follow him,’’ McAdoo said of Mayfield. “I didn’t see a lot of pro-style football in his college tape. And if you’re short you have to be able to make up for it some way, somehow, and personality doesn’t do that. I didn’t think he was a great athlete. This guy is kinda like a pocket quarterback that is short and with small hands, that’s what I worry about.”

McAdoo’s Panthers, of course, agreed to a trade for Mayfield on Wednesday. He’ll soon head to Charlotte to join his fellow 2018 draftee Sam Darnold and his new play caller—who actually went on to further bury him in that interview.

Here’s how McAdoo ranked the top passers of that year’s group:

1. Josh Allen
2. Lamar Jackson
3. Darnold
4. Josh Rosen
5. Mason Rudolph
6. Mayfield

Awkward . . .

Well, a lot of time—four years to be exact—has passed since then. And perhaps McAdoo sees something a bit more encouraging from Mayfield’s pro tape.

Regardless, it’s time to play nice.

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Can the Carolina Panthers make the most out of Baker Mayfield?

Can Matt Rhule, Ben McAdoo, and the Carolina Panthers get the most out of Baker Mayfield? We have our doubts.

After months of back-and-forth, the Cleveland Browns have finally granted quarterback Baker Mayfield sweet release from the franchise that selected him first overall in the 2018 draft, watched him develop into a near-top-tier quarterback in 2020, and then, saw it all collapse as Mayfield struggled last season through injuries, personnel attrition, and coaching inflexibility. The wisdom of the Browns’ trade for Deshaun Watson will be debated ad nauseam for all kinds of reasons, but now, Mayfield is out of that particular Dysfunction Junction.

On Wednesday, the Browns made a deal with the Carolina Panthers that sent Mayfield there in exchange for a conditional 2024 fifth-round pick. That could rise to a fourth-round pick based on Mayfield’s playing time. Why such a low return for the Browns? Well, the Panthers will take on $10.5 million of Mayfield’s $18,858 million salary in 2022, the Panthers will pay Mayfield $5 million, and Mayfield has agreed to eat the rest.

If you ever wondered how much Mayfield wanted out, there’s your answer. It’s an absolutely abysmal deal for the Browns no matter how you slice it. The probability of Watson suiting up in Week 1 (when the Browns host… the Panthers) is somewhere between slim and none, and slim just left town. That of course is due to the upcoming suspension Watson faces for multiple accusations of sexual assault. Cleveland will most likely start backup Jacoby Brissett in Watson’s stead for however Watson is suspended — not the worst possible outcome, but certainly suboptimal for a team that was thought not too long ago to have Super Bowl aspirations. And the Browns have nobody to blame but themselves.

That aside, how can Panthers head coach Matt Rhule and offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo bring out the best in Mayfield — to make this trade the thunderous franchise win it should be? I have already written about how Mayfield’s talents can be optimized in a vacuum; I’m far less sure about this particular fit — and whether this is the right offense.

How Baker Mayfield can be a top-tier quarterback — in the right offense

(All advanced metrics courtesy of Sports Info Solutions and Pro Football Focus unless otherwise indicated).

Panthers WR DJ Moore: ‘The offense is way better than previous years’

DJ Moore believes the Panthers offense, under new coordinator Ben McAdoo, is in a better position to succeed than it was in previous seasons.

Earlier this month, in the midst of organized team activities, Carolina Panthers wideout DJ Moore admitted Ben McAdoo’s offense hasn’t exactly been the easiest to learn. That, however, doesn’t mean it isn’t working.

On Wednesday, the fifth-year receiver joined The Rich Eisen Show in the lead-up to what’ll be a telling 2022 campaign for the Panthers. Among those topics, of course, was his new offensive coordinator and how that system (and the team’s growing firepower) is making for a potent formula.

“I feel like it’s a better, like, structure for us going into this year than previous years,” Moore said when asked what’s different with the unit. “I could tell you a little something—the offense is way better than previous years. So we have a lot of upgraded weapons and calls that’ll help us out this year.”

Those previous years, specifically the ones Moore has been around for, have seen Carolina cycle through a few play callers—Norv Turner, Joe Brady and Jeff Nixon. None of those stints—obviously for one reason or another— resulted in sustained, long-term success for the franchise.

But now, Moore sees a very discernible change in the offense—even with quarterback Sam Darnold.

“Sam—I could see a growth in him already, from OTAs,” he said. “Ya know, everything has been hectic this offseason for him, in the news-wise—so with all the quarterbacks moving around. The way he just handled it, he was talking to everybody and was just so poised. And he came in and had to learn the new offense, he just took it full head-on. He’s been good with Ben and Sean [Ryan] with the quarterbacks and I haven’t seen no downward spiral for him. All upwards for him right now.”

Well, to be fair, there’s not much room left for Darnold to spiral down into. Carolina’s starter, pretty much by default, registered yet another underwhelming season in 2021—passing for just nine touchdowns to 13 interceptions over 12 games.

So, as they say, there’s nowhere to go but up . . . hopefully.

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9 biggest takeaways from Panthers’ 2022 OTAs

What did the 2022 OTAs reveal about the Panthers thus far? Here are nine interesting takeaways.

Thursday, which actually wound up playing host to a fun olympic event, marked the final day of 2022 organized team activities for the Carolina Panthers. And even though these workouts didn’t exactly give us any groundbreaking developments, we can come away with a handful of intriguing nuggets (nine, in fact) moving forward.

So, here they are . . .