The Panthers have gotten absolutely fleeced in this deal…unsurprisingly. The first domino to fall in the Panthers disaster season is Christian McCaffrey as the San Francisco 49ers have fleeced him out of Carolina for only a few draft picks.
Okay, my whole argument could blow up in my face if Christian McCaffrey gets injured (as he usually does), but if he stays healthy, then this deal is an absolute steal for the 49ers. Only giving up a 2023 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and a 2024 5th for one of the best running backs in the league maybe go down as one of the best trades in the last ten years. And especially when you factor in the talents of McCaffrey on this 49ers roster.
Already, the 49ers have one of, if not the best, running back cores in the league as Jeff Wilson, Tevin Coleman, and Deebo Samuel (who’s a hybrid of a WR and an RB really) have combined for a grand total of 774 rushing yards (13th in the NFL) and 124.0 yards/game (12th in the NFL) this season.
Plus, they already have the best running scheme with Kyle Shannahan as the head coach. Shanahan has made his name in the NFL on the back of having the best running scheme in the league every season as it has taken him to a Super Bowl, two NFC Championships, and the 2019 NFC West Division title, even though he has not had “premiere” running back while doing so.
With Christian McCaffrey, he now has that premier running back.
Since 2016, Christian McCaffrey has 7,212 scrimmage yards in only 64 career games played. Comparatively, the only other running back who have more scrimmage yards than the former Panthers star is Alvin Kamara (8,043), Derrick Henry (8,172), and Ezekiel Elliott (10,048). That’s pretty elite company, right?
Oh, I almost forget to mention that all of these running backs have played at least 14 games MORE than McCaffrey, with Henry and Elliott playing in over 25 games more than him.
That’s nearly TWO FULL seasons more of carries and catches and McCaffrey’s stats are still in a ballpark similar to theirs. Do you see why this trade is so lopsided now? A second-round pick and a few mid-rounders are pocket change compared to the value McCaffrey brings to the 49ers and their run scheme.
The Panthers should have asked for A LOT more from a team like San Francisco.
Nevertheless, as I mentioned earlier, the only way this trade doesn’t blow up in the 49ers’ face is if they can keep McCaffrey healthy and on the field. It’s been the million-dollar question for the Panthers, and one they failed to answer as they now languish at 1-5 and are in full rebuild mode.
We’ll see if the 49ers can finally solve the McCaffrey conundrum.
Images Source: Featured Image: (Wikimedia Creative Commons License/Author: Keith Allison) (Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
