In a blockbuster move, the Carolina Panthers traded All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers late Thursday night.
For the latter of those two teams, it means yet another hefty investment toward a run at the Lombardi Trophy. But what does it mean for the former?
The Panthers had reportedly been in talks for weeks to deal the oft-injured McCaffrey. Heck, they even had a pretty hefty asking price for such a swap — perhaps somewhere in the realm of a first-round pick or two.
Ultimately, they could not procure that type of capital. But they did snag second-, third- and fourth-rounders in 2023 and a fifth-rounder in 2024, which will help them rebuild, at least offensively.
With the trades of McCaffrey and wide receiver Robbie Anderson, it is fair to wonder what other players are on the trade block. Is Carolina actually holding a fire sale? Will their young and established defenders (and wideout DJ Moore) remain untouchable?
In the overall grand scheme of things, this could be seen as a refreshing change to years prior. Getting picks for a bulky contract seems a lot better than giving them away for, say, Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield, no?
Plus, with Matt Rhule out and an influx of new resources now suddenly in, that rebuild is going to have a kickstart for whoever eventually takes it over.
As for the immediate future of the backfield, D’Onta Foreman should see the bulk of the carries for the remainder of the season with Chuba Hubbard behind him. But the more interesting development will happen under center, where the Panthers will have to continue slogging through Mayfield, Darnold and PJ Walker to get to the ultimate asset: 2023’s No. 1 overall pick.
