49ers' Top Christian McCaffrey Trade Packages amid Rumored Interest
The San Francisco 49ers could end up in the middle of the Christian McCaffrey sweepstakes if the price is right.
Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports mentioned the 49ers as one of the better fits for the 26-year-old if the Carolina Panthers opt to deal their star running back.
ESPN,com's David Newton reported that the Panthers would likely not make a trade unless "something substantial" was involved in the trade package.
San Francisco would love to have an offensive weapon like McCaffrey in the backfield to partner with Deebo Samuel and George Kittle in the offense, but getting him is a harder task than it may be for other franchises.
The 49ers do not have a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft because of the trade they made to acquire Trey Lance in 2021.
San Francisco is not out of the running for McCaffrey with no 2023 first-round draft capital, but that means it has to be more creative than other suitors if it wants to go all in on the running back.
2024 1st-Round Pick Plus Others
San Francisco's lack of a first-round pick in 2023 hurts its viability as a suitor for McCaffrey because the Panthers should want an instant return for their star player.
The 49ers do have a first-round pick in 2024 that they could dangle in negotiations if they believe McCaffrey is the missing piece to Super Bowl contention.
Dealing a first-round pick that will not be used for 18 months could end up backfiring on the Niners.
The decision to send three first-rounders to the Miami Dolphins to move up for Lance does not seem like a good one at this point in time because the 22-year-old will not make a significant impact on the offense until next season.
The 49ers could go all-in in 2022 with Jimmy Garoppolo at the helm because the NFC West is there for the taking and some of the perennial powers in the conference are off to slow starts.
San Francisco's hierarchy could look at the landscape around the NFC and believe that this year is the best one to chase a title.
If the 49ers are convinced of that, they could offer a large package of picks to Carolina to land McCaffrey. San Francisco would have to rely on its development of mid- or late-round draft picks and free agency to retool the roster while the wait for a first-round selection goes into 2025.
Package Headlined By 2023 Draft Picks
The best package involving 2023 draft picks that San Francisco can offer will be one headlined by the second- and third-round selections in April.
San Francisco could use its Day 2 choices as the biggest pieces of draft capital in a McCaffrey trade and then use some late-round selections to bolster the deal.
Carolina may not be willing to do a deal for anything less than a first-round selection because it wants to retool right away with a new head coach arriving in 2023.
The Panthers may want to use their own first-round selection to land a franchise quarterback and then use another Round 1 pick to land a playmaker, or protection, for that player.
Carolina's demands could always change in the coming weeks, but it is now well within its rights to ask for the best trade package possible.
Kyle Shanahan and his staff have to hope the asking price comes down that way, so they do not have to mortgage a pick two drafts from now in order to make a run at a championship.
Draft Picks and Expiring Contracts
San Francisco's ideal trade scenario is not in play because of the Lance injury.
This would have been the perfect spot to offer up Jimmy Garoppolo and draft picks for McCaffrey. The backup signal-caller would have had a chance to audition for the Panthers and other teams, and the 49ers would land a star at running back.
But that is not the situation facing the Niners, and they may have to get creative with some expiring contracts and draft picks that entice Carolina.
Tevin Coleman, Jeff Wilson Jr. and Jauan Jennings are among the players under contract until the end of the season, per Spotrac.
San Francisco may be willing to do a trade-off at running back because neither Coleman or Wilson would see a ton of playing time if McCaffrey did come to the franchise.
A trade involving players with draft picks would only work if Carolina is interested in bringing in rental players before letting them go in the offseason.
Carolina may be way more willing to take in draft picks so that it can choose how its roster is built, but San Francisco needs to at least consider all options if McCaffrey is available.