needs to play and play. Well to set the stage to become
a starting quarterback. Next year, we assume he's going to
be the starter
in Carolina,
not so fast. My friend is the great Lee. Corso would say.
Here's Matt rule coach of the Panthers on Baker, Mayfield and
Sam Donald splitting wraps in training camp.
Yeah, the first two days. We decided to have
a sample for day. One Sam took all the one reps with the one
group
Baker took all the two reps with the to group. She's me
tomorrow, we'll have Baker take all the reps with the first
group Sam. Take all the rest of the to group and the thought
process being. We really wanted our guys to have the ability to
work with the same receivers for the entire day. You know,
especially you know what, but obviously Baker's got
the install last night and this morning, he's out here trying
to execute it.
So we went to the guys that have some consistency it.
Seaver for the first two days and then
we'll start to mix things up a little bit more and then we had
Matt and PJ split the threes.
So, yeah, usually, when you're splitting wraps, you're
splitting them in a given practice. When I saw on
the internet, the splitting reps, and then I looked and what he
said, well, no not splitting reps the splitting days. Yeah,
this guy's the one
today. The other guys, the one tomorrow. Now, how long is that
going to last? I don't know. But Chris at some level at some
level, the very fiery and passionate Baker, Mayfield
has to be asking himself
what the hell's going on here?
I'm the first overall pick in the draft. I'm
God, they brought in because they've seen enough of Sam darn
old and they're making him, the starter to start training camp.
Is this going to continue day after day after day?
And is there a chance? I'm not going to start weak woman. The
Browns come to town. I, I remember when they did
the introductory press conference, we were doing PF T OT at
the time. I'm not sure what you were doing. I was working,
but no, I was not.
I said it's never going to be any better between Baker
Mayfield in the Panthers and it is right now. Once adversity
comes, that's when we find out if Baker, Mayfield is Changed
and this is the initial and you are like are they testing him?
They apply a little pressure to him to see if he's matured to
see if he's
going to be a pain in the ass to see if he's going to
complain. And Grouse and be a problem because this is
the kind of thing that past Baker, Mayfield would be pissed off
about
walking through the door. First day of training camp, practice
and you're not the guy who's getting the reps with the ones
when you need the work to get yourself ready to go. Yeah,
I hear everything you're saying there.
I do. But but I think, you know, something you talk about
all the time again. No team just wants to roll out the red
carpet or just hand guys, anything? Right and and Baker,
Mayfield, even though I think
you and I both believe that he's better than same darn old,
he's not so great that you just go. Oh, he's the guy no matter
what they're going to kind of make them earn it and to Mike,
you know,
to what we're eating, he just learned, he's learned
the offense last night, he's just getting a hold of this thing so
they don't want to throw them out there and just also go. Hey
girl. The guy and then the first week or two of practice
or kind of bumpy, and not going that. Well, and then
everybody's looking
at it going, man. We
are going to make him the guy. This is not that great. He's,
you know, okay, well they're trying to,
you know, let him have some time to learn the offense here
make it look like, hey, he's competing for the job and he
beat out the guy and earned it, you know, to what we talked
about all the time. I think that and I think the
splitting of the Reps on a day-to-day
basis. It's not that crazy. That I've heard that approach
before from football.
Names. You know what it does is like, Matt rule says it, lets
the quarterback getting Rhythm a little bit and you get
a little feel for.
Wait, how does this guy lead the troops all day instead of
like, hey, it's you, you're leading the troops or three
plays and now the next guys in 43 plays, you know, Sam darling
gets the kind of have ownership over the first team on
the first day and you can kind of evaluate
that house he lead. How does he handle yelling at this guy? Or
we're having a bad part of practice and then now today
they'll get that experience with Baker, Mayfield and to me,
that's where We're Baker, Mayfield in a separate himself
from Sam. Donald is the leadership factor and just
the edge. He gives a football team, at
least is something I look at.
I say, all the time is the owner and operator of a media
outlet that I love a good story and I really love chaos. So
I don't want my desire for chaos to happen in Carolina
to cloud my judgment. I like the way you explained it because
think of it this way, you already have Robby Anderson
who was not thrilled about the idea of adding Baker Mayfield
and who later said, he's just sticking up for his I Sam
Donald
you have to win the locker room so I guess there's no better
way to contrast the two guys.
Then let Sam darn old continue
as the number one guy for the first day of training camp.
And then day two,
here comes Baker. It's the flip side of the example, you used,
when the Panthers were being linked to Kenny Pickett, what's
going to happen when picket shows up and the players say
sam Donald throws the ball better than
he does. Well, today's Baker's chance to Go out there and
perform in a way that makes those guys say,
okay. Now we know why you brought him in. Yeah, and
exactly right. Exactly right. And I think they're going to do
manage him. I'm sure they're gonna you know be basic and
simple.
I will say though I mean Baker Mayfield as we discussed,
I think he's a better quarterback, he's a better
player, he's got a better arm, he plays in the pocket and
makes more special throws than Sam Donald you know. So that's
where I give him the advantage and
hey he's you know, we said he's behind you know, as far as
the Playbook is concerned but But
in been McAdoo's offense,
it's a West coast-based just like Kevin stefanski.
I would think there's going to be a lot of similarities to
where he could pick it up pretty quick. So we'll see.
It's going to be about that development and then to what
you said, Mike can he open up some eyes
and do we hear a little chatter,
you know, after week one? Or it's a, hey, both guys are
doing good but man, Baker made a few throws last week. Oh man,
you know, that's what you start to hear as Camp goes on. And
that's what I'll have my Ears. You know, listening
for
yeah. Hey, it's it's going to be fun to see how it plays out,
and it's going to be again from my own selfish perspective,
fascinating to see what happens. When inevitable
adversity, strikes
has Baker. Mayfield learned anything from his time in
Cleveland, or does he just blame it all on the Browns,
the way Carson, Wentz, and did last year
when he got to Indianapolis he was able to blame it all on
the Eagles. What's going to happen this year? It really will be
fun to watch. And look the Panthers could
Will be pretty good. I know you wide open. Yes, the Wild Card
spots are wide. Oh I'd open and the Panthers. You look at
the rest of the division beyond the Buccaneers. We all want
the Saints are going to be.
We have a pretty good idea, what the Falcons are going to
be and it's not good. The Panthers have an opportunity to
finish second in the division. And if you finish second in
the division,
you got a pretty good chance
of making it
into the wild card pool. And yeah. And again for Baker
Mayfield, if he wins the job and plays all year and it goes,
well, that sets him up for next year know. No, they need
the all bunch of show up and you're saying the right there, teams.
Good, you look at the roster.
You know, they're young.
They're offensive line was an issue
but it was the number three defense in football. They got
Corners grown on trees there, they're very talented at all,
three levels of their defense, it's one of the most talented
defenses in the game.
It's the offensive was the problem last year.
You know, whether that was Joe Brady
you know Sam darn old McCaffrey getting hurt. Yeah blah blah
blah. They got to be better and more consistent on that side of
the Ball if they can be an offense. That's in the middle
of the pack in the NFL.
I think they can be one of those teams you're talking
about where we go been Carolina's, got a chance to
make the playoffs. I think they have that type of talent I do.