The kid from Stanford returns to the Bay Area. As the Carolina Panthers continued to struggle, their fire sale began with the trade of Robbie Anderson to the Arizona Cardinals. Many didn’t blink an eye, but everyone noticed when Christian McCaffrey was shipped out.
It made sense, after all. The running back was stuck in a franchise with no direction and head coach. This is no knock to interim coach Steve Wilks, but the title “interim” is there for a reason.
Baker Mayfield still doesn’t look like the number-one overall pick from 2017. So, where did that leave Christian McCaffrey? The player that kept the Panthers’ offense afloat was stuck.
Not anymore.
Full terms:
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 21, 2022
— The #49ers get star RB Christian McCaffrey.
— The #Panthers get a 2nd round pick in 2023, a third-rounder in 2023, and a fourth-round pick in 2023. Plus, a fifth-rounder in 2024.
Massive.
We’ll dive into the fantasy aspect of this trade in a later article. But, let’s analyze this and see how it will affect both the 49ers and the Panthers.
San Francisco Has A Potent Offense with McCaffrey In.
This team is a Super Bowl contender.
Yes, we all know about Jimmy Garoppolo and his postseason struggles. But, he finally has a dependable safety blanket that is dangerous when healthy. No offense to Elijah Mitchell or Jeff Wilson Jr., but they are levels below the former Stanford running back.
Pair him up with Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and George Kittle. You have yourselves a very talented offense.
2️⃣2️⃣ like that pic.twitter.com/ByOoNL3gFA
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) October 9, 2022
The 49ers did give away a good number of draft picks. But, you do what you must if you want to go all in and win a Super Bowl this year. They still have plenty of mid-round picks, thanks to the compensation they received from events such as Robert Salah leaving to coach the Jets and Mike McDaniel to the Dolphins to name a few.
McCaffrey joins a team led by Kyle Shanahan, who will have a blast inserting his new weapon into his outside-zone run scheme. There is a family connection between the head coach and the player, as Kyle’s father Mike coached Christian’s dad Ed during their time in Denver from 1995-2003.
The running back currently has 393 yards on the ground through six games, including two games with 100+ yards. He also has five games with at least four catches, showing his versatility with every game played.
Now, the elephant in the room is his injury history. He’s missed multiple games over the past few seasons, and the compensation the 49ers had to pay for Christian McCaffrey seems like a lot. But, this move shows San Francisco is serious about contending not just this season, but also for the future. When Trey Lance returns next season (and presumably starts), watch out.
As of right now, San Francisco likely will not allow McCaffery to play on Sunday because of how close the trade and the game are between one another. We can’t say never, because anything can happen and the team could pick a few plays for him to partake him. Until he gets up to speed, don’t expect the team to lean on him to his full potential.
Regardless, this move shocked the NFL world. 49ers fans rejoice as their team made a move that just made them a more dangerous team. As long as he is HEALTHY, this trade will pay off for them.
The Fire Sale in Carolina
Okay. Well, at least they got draft picks.
We are not going to sit here and criticize the Carolina Panthers for one full section. They didn’t completely lose this trade. Draft picks are valuable, no matter what round they are at.
This team isn’t going anywhere this year. D.J. Moore maybe next too, despite reports saying they view the wide receiver as an integral piece for the future. I personally don’t believe that, but it is what it is.
Carolina is 1-5. Mayfield looks like a bust, and he seems like the clear problem. Just like in Cleveland, no matter how many weapons you give him, he will not produce for him. Before you come at me and say he single-handedly led the Browns to the conference championship in 2020, stop it. We all know that Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt were the keys behind that miraculous run.
If I am the Panthers, I am starting P.J. Walker for the rest of the season. Putting Mayfield out there will bring the team’s morale down. Look at Moore, who has statically declined compared to last season.
In terms of who will pick up McCaffrey’s place in the offense, it will either be Chubba Hubbard or D’Onta Foreman. Both guys have been given limited opportunities this year, but Hubbard may have the upper hand after performing well in McCaffrey’s absence in 2021.
Don’t count out Foreman, who has more carries than Hubbard this year. Regardless, this is a situation worth monitoring after their matchup against the Buccaneers on Sunday. That game is going to be ugly.
Whether it’s Brian Burns, D.J. Moore, or anyone else, the Panthers are not done getting rid of their players. The rebuild is clearly in motion
Christian McCaffrey Trade Grades
San Francisco 49ers: B+
Carolina Panthers: C-
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