BREAKING NEWS: Christian McCaffrey Traded to 49ers
The first big trade of the 2022 NFL season just occurred and it’s as headline-grabbing as could be. The Carolina Panthers have officially begun their fire sale to signal a full rebuild by trading franchise running back Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers for a bevy of future draft picks.
It’s a homecoming for McCaffrey
McCaffrey, a former First-Team All-Pro selection, will be returning to his roots in the Bay Area as a former Stanford Cardinal standout. The 49ers are hoping that McCaffrey returns to his 2018 or 2019 form wherein he racked up over 1,800 scrimmage yards in each of those years. Injuries have been an issue for the Niners and adding immense depth in the backfield with CMC as their new lead back is a clear indication that they’re in for a big push for the Lombardi Trophy this year. The Panthers, meanwhile, receive a total of four draft picks out of the deal. San Francisco sent three mid-round picks in next year’s NFL Draft along with another fifth-round pick at the 2024 draft to seal the deal. The trade came just a little over 10 days after Carolina fired head coach Matt Rhule after the collegiate coaching mastermind finished with just an 11-27 record as the Panthers’ head coach over two seasons and change from this year’s short-lived campaign. While many would argue that the Niners came out the winners of this trade, it’s worth noting that San Fran will only have three compensatory picks at the 2023 NFL Draft and will likely see a salary cap problem in the near future if the team wants to keep the core of its key players intact. On the other hand, the Panthers amassed a boatload of picks for their rebuild and now possess more assets to make future trades even more appealing for their trade partners. The journey back to the top will be long and arduous for Carolina, but the team has all the right pieces to make the most of its situation.More on the 49ers sending second-, third- and fourth-round picks in 2023 and a fifth-round pick in 2024 to the Panthers for star RB Christian McCaffrey, via @DNewtonespn:https://t.co/tb20n46Qeq
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 21, 2022
