What Christian McCaffrey trade means for 49ers' present, future
By Eric D. Williams
FOX Sports NFC West Writer
The San Francisco 49ers sat by idly and watched last season as the Los Angeles Rams made big, splashy moves that helped propel them to a Super Bowl, signing receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and safety Eric Weddle as well as trading for Matthew Stafford and Von Miller.
The 49ers have executed a move that could offer similar results, dealing for explosive running back Christian McCaffrey from the Carolina Panthers on Thursday night.
According to reports, San Francisco gave up second-, third- and fourth-round selections in next year's draft, along with a fifth-rounder in 2024 in exchange for McCaffrey, who returns to the area where he played his college ball at Stanford.
Speculation that the Panthers would be willing to part ways with McCaffrey heated up last week after Carolina fired head coach Matt Rhule, signaling the start of that team's rebuilding effort.
The 49ers are currently tied atop the NFC West at 3-3 alongside the Rams and Seattle Seahawks. San Francisco running back Elijah Mitchell has been out with a knee injury but is expected back before season's end.
McCaffrey, 26, provides San Francisco's run-based offense with a dynamic runner and pass-catcher out of the backfield who adds to an already dangerous group of playmakers that features receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk and tight end George Kittle.
With quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan has a capable distributor of his offense who can quickly get the ball to players in space, allowing them to make plays after the catch.
San Francisco has one of the best defenses in the NFL, led by defensive linemen Nick Bosa and Arik Armstead, linebacker Fred Warner and safeties Talanoa Hufanga and Jimmie Ward.
Financially, McCaffrey will only count for $1 million in salary on the books this season after reworking his deal during the offseason. He's slated to make $36 million over the next three years, but it's not guaranteed.
There's also McCaffrey's lengthy injury history to consider. The talented runner missed 23 games over the last two years due to injuries. But this season he has managed to stay healthy, playing all six games and totaling 607 scrimmage yards, fourth-most in the league.
Selected No. 8 overall in the 2017 draft, McCaffrey has recorded 7,272 yards from scrimmage and 50 total touchdowns in six NFL seasons.
The move leaves San Francisco with only two picks in next year's draft, a third round and fifth-round selection.
However, the Niners are built to win now, and adding McCaffrey makes an already good offense even more explosive.
Shanahan also has a relationship with McCaffrey. His father, Ed, won a Super Bowl with San Francisco in the 1994 season and two more titles in Denver with Shanahan’s father, Mike, as the head coach.
San Francisco could possibly unveil its newest offensive weapon Sunday when it hosts the Kansas City Chiefs (4:25 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports App).
Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.