Before we dive into the ways this deal might work first, let me say that I still don't like this deal, for all of the same reasons that I did back in Madden 23 coins. I can't see any benefits in trading Mayfield in the case of the Panthers. They're perhaps the worst squad to play in the NFC South, and Baker will not likely to cause Carolina to be able to beat the Buccaneers to win the division title as well as in the NFC will be no different. The NFC is one of the most infamous death row, especially with regard to the NFC West which makes it difficult to imagine the possibility of a wild card possible. If somehow this is the special sauce to put it all together, the reward for the team is that they'll have to sign Baker the biggest contract possible for him to stay based on a small sample size, or to let him go without a price.

What it does however, is at least make the Panthers accessible in 2022 even in the event that we make the assumption they were never going to be able to get started in Corral in his first season. The team could be discussing "open competition" in the present but when the biggest problem is a subpar Sam Darnold who's already proven he can't be "the player," any pretense of having a QB contest is only for posterity for posterity's sake. In 2021 this was a team of 5-12. and with Mayfield the team could be ... I don't know, maybe 8-9?

If we accept that Mayfield would always start, that's where this can get intriguing. The Panthers have brought in Ben McAdoo to take over the offense, and initially it was a weird decision that seemed to be destined for the same issues it faced in New York. McAdoo prefers to play an open faux West Coast shotgun passing base that necessitates quick decision making from the quarterback, and the ability to rack up yards when you're flushed out of your pocket. A statuesqueand aging Eli Manning was the perfectly inappropriate quarterback for this style -- much in the same way that a statuesque Darnold does not work.

You know who's a good fit? Baker Mayfield, and Matt Corral. Now, it takes some serious galaxy brain mental gymnastics to believe that Carolina was extremely smitten about Corral being likely to be the next big thing for the team and yet waiting until the 3rd round to trade to Corral. Thinking about this team playing chess as it is gives the organization entirely too much credit. But, there's a glimmer of outside hope Corral could be something truly special.

NBC Sports' Chris Simms was announcing NBC Sports' Chris Simms Corral as the madden coins.