Browns and Panthers look even worse for giving up on Baker Mayfield way too soon

When you are the Cleveland Browns and the Carolina Panthers, you make bad decisions. It is what you do. While not everyone was down with the Browns taking 2017 Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield No. 1 overall out of Oklahoma in the 2018 NFL Draft, he has finally started to live up to the hype of said selection, albeit now on his fourth NFL team in the motley crew Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Even if the Buccaneers fell to 4-5 on the year after losing a heartbreaker in overtime on Monday Night Football to the Kansas City Chiefs, Andy Reid's team are still the two-time defending Super Bowl champions. Plus, Mayfield was without his two star receivers in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin once again. It has taken a few years, but we are without question seeing a franchise quarterback in Tampa.

Unfortunately for the Browns and the Panthers, he could have been theirs because at one point in time, he was theirs. Cleveland continues to run through quarterbacks faster than Spinal Tap runs through drummers. There was no freaking gardening accident, as it has been the Browns organization spontaneously combusting before our very eyes. Carolina is owned by David Tepper...

In the meantime, Jameis Winston and I guess it is Bryce Young again leading Mayfield's former teams.

Baker Mayfield is making two of his former employers look so very stupid

What we have learned so far about the 2018 quarterback draft class is where you land matters. Lamar Jackson went to a great organization. Josh Allen went to an ascending one. And even though Josh Rosen totally busted, Mayfield and Sam Darnold have seen their careers revitalized after, you guessed it, going to their fourth teams in the Buccaneers and the Minnesota Vikings, respectively.

While their may be limitations to how good the Buccaneers can be beyond this season with Todd Bowles as their head coach, as long as Mayfield has a quality offensive coordinator to work with, he should be fine no matter what. He first got connected with Liam Coen during his very brief tenure with the 2022 Los Angeles Rams. After thriving with Dave Canales last year, look at who reunited!

Although it may be challenging for the Buccaneers to get back into the NFC playoffs race now that they are two games back of the Atlanta Falcons, as well as losing the season tiebreaker, I would continue to bet on Mayfield's growth and development as a leader in Tampa Bay. He is not yet 30 and still has another six or seven years of prime football left in the tank, at minimum. Don't count him out!

Those who bet against Mayfield usually end up paying for it. Just ask the Browns and the Panthers...