NFL Player News

Mayfield, whom the Panthers acquired from the Browns earlier Wednesday, will compete with Sam Darnold for Carolina's starting quarterback job during training camp and the preseason, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.

The Panthers went 5-12 last season while Darnold appeared in 12 of those contests, and now Mayfield, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, will look to supplant Carolina's incumbent starter as the summer rolls along. Per Newton, the Panthers landed Mayfield for a 2024 conditional fifth-round pick -- which can become a fourth-round selection -- while the Browns are slated to pay $10.5 million of the signal-caller's 2022 salary. Meanwhile, the Panthers will cover $4.85 million of the salary. In his fourth and final season with Cleveland, Mayfield was hampered by a torn labrum in his left (non-throwing) shoulder, an issue he's indicated he's since moved past. Assuming that's the case, the 27-year-old figures to share Carolina's first-team quarterback reps with Darnold -- with rookie Matt Corral working behind them -- once camp opens later this month.

Brissett and Joshua Dobbs are left as the Browns' remaining depth options behind Deshaun Watson on the quarterback depth chart after Baker Mayfield was traded to the Panthers on Wednesday, Jake Trotter of ESPN.com reports.

Though it had been presumed that Brissett would be next in line to start for Cleveland if Watson is suspended by the NFL, the possibility existed that Mayfield and the Browns could settle their differences following his request to be traded earlier in the offseason. Watson's hearing before the NFL and NFL Players Association's jointly appointed disciplinary officer, Sue L. Robinson, concluded this past Thursday, and while there's not a timetable for a determination on a possible suspension, a ruling on Watson's status ahead of the coming season could occur before training camp. Brissett, who signed a one-year deal with Cleveland in March, has started 37 games and made 60 appearances in total between stops with New England, Indianapolis and Miami through his first six NFL seasons.

Darnold is now in line to compete with Baker Mayfield -- who was acquired by Carolina on Wednesday -- for the team's starting quarterback job, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.

The competition will feature the top two quarterbacks selected in the 2018 NFL Draft, as Darnold was chosen by the Jets with the No. 3 overall pick, while the Browns grabbed Mayfield with the top overall pick. While nothing will be handed to Mayfield, it stands to reason that the Panthers wouldn't have acquired him had Darnold been viewed as the team's clear-cut answer under center. The 25-year-old Darnold is coming off an uneven 2021 campaign -- his first with Carolina -- in which he logged 2,527 passing yards to go with a 9:13 TD:INT in 12 games. For his part, Mayfield has reportedly recovered from an injury to his non-throwing shoulder, an injury that hampered him during his final season in Cleveland.

The Eagles might consider trading Minshew for an early draft pick, but the team is otherwise expected to keep him around as a backup in the final season of his rookie contract, Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Minshew was excellent in his one start for Philadelphia in 2021, but Jalen Hurts then returned from an ankle injury and played well down the stretch to help the Eagles lock up a playoff spot. The Eagles then went out and traded for wideout A.J. Brown to give their offense a big boost, increasing the odds of Hurts finding success in his second year as a starter. The addition of Brown also means that Minshew will be in better position to succeed if he sees the field, but he won't have an opportunity to compete for the starting job this summer.

Carolina agreed Wednesday to acquire Mayfield from Cleveland in exchange for a 2024 conditional fifth-round draft pick, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.

The deal, which is pending a physical, sets the stage for Mayfield to join a quarterback room that also includes Sam Darnold. The two thus are in line to compete for the Panthers' starting job this summer, while Jacoby Brissett profiles as the clear-cut No. 2 option behind Deshaun Watson in Cleveland.

Herbert believes he'll benefit from a full offseason of practices, with improving his footwork in the pocket being a key point of emphasis, Jeff Kerr of CBSSports.com reports.

Herbert is in the midst of his first "normal" offseason, as his first two years in the NFL coincided with the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Chargers also had a major coaching staff change between Years 1 and 2, with Los Angeles bringing in head coach Brandon Staley and offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi last winter. Both are back for 2022, as are Herbert, running back Austin Ekeler and wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. The biggest offseason loss might be tight end Jared Cook, who was replaced by Gerald Everett, while the key addition could be first-round pick Zion Johnson at right guard. On paper, the Chargers have their best offensive line in years, with 2021 first-round pick Rashawn Slater entrenched at left tackle and 2021 free-agent additions Corey Linsley and Matt Feiler joining Johnson on the interior. If the offense has a weakness, it's either tight end or right tackle, though even that might be nitpicking. In other words, Herbert is well positioned for another top-five fantasy showing among quarterbacks.

Winston (knee) posted a video Tuesday on his personal Instagram account showing himself throwing without a left knee brace.

Winston is working his way back from an ACL tear and additional MCL damage to the knee, which was surgically repaired. While participating in OTAs with teammates earlier this summer, Winston did wear the brace, but now eight months removed from suffering the knee injury, he appears to have cleared another hurdle in the rehab process. Winston may still have some limitations when training camp kicks off July 26, but he appears to be trending toward Week 1 availability.

Jaguars quarterbacks coach Mike McCoy said Lawrence has quickly learned the team's new offensive system and that the quarterback was already "making quicker decisions" by the end of OTAs in June, John Shipley of SI.com reports.

The 2021 first overall pick endured a difficult rookie campaign during which he completed 60 percent of his passes for 3,641 yards with 12 touchdowns and 17 interceptions, and he also rushed for 334 yards and two touchdowns while losing five fumbles. The typical rookie difficulties were exacerbated by previous coach Urban Meyer's dysfunctional leadership, but Lawrence now has a fully revamped coaching staff around him led by new head coach Doug Pederson. Jacksonville also spent big in free agency, bringing in wide receiver Christian Kirk, wide receiver Zay Jones, tight end Evan Engram and guard Brandon Scherff to provide a significant boost to the quarterback's supporting cast. Lawrence's outlook is certainly improved heading into 2022 compared to where he finished last season, but it remains to be seen if that results in him being even a semi-reliable option for fantasy managers.

Allen said during last month's minicamp that verbiage and protections have remained the same under new offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey, who previously served as Buffalo's QBs coach for three years, ESPN.com's Alaina Getzenberg reports.

Dorsey replaces Brian Daboll, now head coach of the Giants. Had Daboll not left, Dorsey likely would've, as his work in Buffalo put him on the fast track for an OC job. The Bills still have more continuity than most teams, with Allen throwing to fellow holdovers Stefon Diggs, Gabriel Davis, Isaiah McKenzie and Dawson Knox, while the new additions include slot receiver Jamison Crowder, backup tight end O.J. Howard and fifth-round rookie wideout Khalil Shakir. The team did part ways with Emmanuel Sanders and Cole Beasley, both of whom faded last year, and the Bills are counting on Davis and the other young guys to step up in 2022. Dorsey could try to get his RBs more involved in the passing game after Buffalo spent a second-round pick on James Cook, but it'll likely be Diggs and Davis leading the way as preferred targets for Allen and his cannon of a right arm.

Rush is expected to be the Cowboys' No. 2 quarterback this season behind Dak Prescott, Jon Machota of The Athletic reports.

The 28-year-old could face a camp challenge for the job from Will Grier, who was a third-round pick of the Panthers in 2019, but Rush earned a lot of goodwill by leading the Cowboys to victory in his lone start last year Week 8 against the Vikings. If Prescott stays healthy in 2022, however, his backup isn't likely to see much work, regardless of who it is.