The 49ers already have one of the NFL's most talented rosters, and they're reportedly interested in potentially adding Christian McCaffrey, one of the league's most dynamic players.
CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones reported Saturday that the 49ers are among teams "that have shown varying degrees of interest in McCaffrey."
Jones noted that the Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills also have interest in a potential trade for the Carolina Panthers' star running back. But, Jones reported, the Panthers haven't engaged in serious trade talks regarding McCaffrey, who was the No. 8 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.
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Meanwhile, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Saturday that the Panthers indeed are listening to offers for McCaffrey, and have rejected offers from two teams.
Why would the Panthers trade McCaffrey? If they decide to enter another rebuilding phase after firing coach Matt Rhule following their Week 5 loss to the 49ers, dealing the 26-year-old could net them several draft picks that could allow them to add younger, more controllable talent.
And, as Schefter noted, McCaffrey's contract makes him appealing to other teams. In March, the Panthers restructured McCaffrey's contract in order to clear $5.5 million in salary-cap space for the 2022 season, NFL Media's Tom Pelissero reported, meaning the running back is earning just $1.035 million this season. McCaffrey's salary does spike back up to just under $12 million for the 2023 season, but prospective teams can worry about that number later.
Over The Cap noted that the 49ers currently have $5,288,603 in cap space for the rest of this season, so general manager John Lynch could afford to add McCaffrey if he wants to pay the price in draft picks.
San Francisco 49ers
While the 49ers don't have their 2023 first-round pick (owned by the Miami Dolphins from the Trey Lance trade), they still have appealing selections in next year's draft (one second-round and three third-round picks). Of course, San Francisco has future first-round picks in 2024 and beyond that it could dangle to Carolina.
Based on Schefter's report, the Panthers are looking for "a high draft pick or multiple picks" for McCaffrey. After trading so much draft capital for Lance, though, it's unclear how much the 49ers would be willing to part with in another blockbuster trade.
But the 49ers' interest in McCaffrey is warranted. When healthy, he is one of the NFL's best players. Back in 2019, the former Stanford star led the league with 2,392 total yards of offense (1,387 rushing, 1,005 receiving). He also had a league-leading 19 total touchdowns that year.
Injuries limited McCaffrey to 10 total games between 2020 and 2021. So far this season, he has 324 rushing yards and 188 receiving yards in five games. Against the 49ers last week, McCaffrey rushed for 54 yards on 14 carries and caught seven passes for 50 yards.
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The 49ers and other teams have until the Nov. 1 NFL trade deadline to try to pry McCaffrey away from the floundering Panthers. And while running back isn't an area of immediate need, with Jeff Wilson Jr. playing well and Elijah Mitchell nearing a return, injuries have plagued San Francisco's backfield, so it never can have enough options.