The 49ers invested big prices of draft picks and future compensation in a running back.
That decision to acquire Christian McCaffrey in a trade last week from the Carolina Panthers seems to go against a philosophy that has worked for the 49ers under general manager John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan.
The 49ers experienced success with their running backs without making big investments in the position in recent seasons.
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But the 49ers do not necessarily view McCaffrey as solely a running back, either.
“We just like continuing to add to that dynamic,” Lynch said. “I do feel like this guy has an ability to do kind of all of the above. And he’s not just a running back. He and Deebo (Samuel) to me are very similar players.”
McCaffrey will enter SoFi Stadium on Sunday to face the Los Angeles Rams for the second time in 15 days. His final game as a member of the Panthers came against this week's opponent.
And, not surprisingly, the Rams also made a hefty offer to the Panthers to try to acquire McCaffrey.
San Francisco 49ers
His multi-layered performance against the Rams on Oct. 16 provides some clues to what Shanahan can implement into the game plan this week against last season’s Super Bowl champions.
McCaffrey played 38 snaps in the Panthers’ 24-10 loss to the Rams. He lined up in the backfield 28 times, moved to the slot for nine snaps and was stationed at wide receiver once.
He ended up with 69 yards on 11 rushing attempts, while catching seven of eight passes on which he was targeted for 89 yards. His 156 yards from scrimmage were his most since he rolled up 161 yards against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 10 of last season.
In the fourth quarter against the Rams, McCaffrey leaked out of the backfield and received a check-down pass. He broke the attempted tackle attempts of linebackers Bobby Wagner and Ernest Jones, bounced to the right sideline and turned it into a 49-yard gain.
The 49ers acquired McCaffrey on Thursday night for second-, third-, and fourth-round draft picks in 2023, and a fifth-rounder in 2024.
He arrived in Santa Clara to watch practice on Friday, then took part in a light workout on Saturday. McCaffrey had knowledge of approximately 20 plays from the 49ers’ game plan to face the Kansas Chiefs on Sunday.
McCaffrey was on the field for 22 offensive snaps. He lined up 15 times in the backfield, four times in the slot and three times at wide receiver in the 49ers’ 44-23 loss to Kansas City.
He gained 38 yards rushing on eight rushing attempts, and caught two passes for 24 yards. He appeared to be open on several other pass plays in which the ball was not thrown his way.
Two weeks ago, the Rams used a variety of different coverages against McCaffrey in the passing game, and Sunday’s key NFC West matchup is likely to be no different.
Linebackers Wagner and Terrell Lewis, along with defensive backs Jalen Ramsey, Nick Scott and Taylor Rapp all took their turns covering McCaffrey.
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Samuel, who came out of Sunday’s game with a hamstring issue, has been a matchup problem for the Rams because of his ability to line up in different places and do a lot of different things.
If Samuel is available, the 49ers’ addition of McCaffrey should present another complex set of challenges for the Rams’ defense.