After firing head coach Matt Rhule following an embarrassing 37-15 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, the Carolina Panthers have reportedly been receiving trade calls from several NFL teams, according to CBS insider Jonathan Jones.
"Teams have been calling the Panthers about some of their veteran players. Carolina is a distressed asset in the NFL world, and with two weeks to go before the trade deadline, wouldn't it want to send off some of its hefty contracts before presumably starting over again in 2023?"
One of those veteran players is running back Christian McCaffrey, who has rushed for 324 yards on 4.5 yards per carry, while catching 26 passes for 188 yards this season.
While Jones mentioned that the Panthers haven't engaged in serious trade talks, teams are calling about McCaffrey, and one of the interested suitors is the San Francisco 49ers.
"And while teams are calling about Christian McCaffrey, the Panthers have not engaged in any serious trade talks. Carolina isn't just going to give away one of the league's best weapons when healthy. The Broncos, 49ers, Rams and Bills are among the teams that have shown varying degrees of interest in McCaffrey."
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Panthers are listening to offers to McCaffrey as well, although a deal may not be easy to complete.
The Carolina Panthers are listening to other teams about a potential trade for star running back Christian McCaffrey, although a deal might not be easy to complete, league sources tell ESPN.https://t.co/96y8r4AiCK
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 15, 2022
The addition of McCaffrey to Kyle Shanahan's system would be an intriguing fit, given McCaffrey's ability to be a bell-cow back and his playmaking ability out of the backfield as a receiver.
Additionally, McCaffrey's base salary for 2022 is just $1.035 million, as he agreed to a restructure in the offseason, lowering that figure. That makes obtaining his services much simpler financially for the current season, although a trade would lead to significant dead cap room for the Panthers.
McCaffrey does have $35.6 million remaining over the last three years of his contract, but only $1 million is guaranteed, leaving flexibility in the offseason for teams that desire to trade for him.
However, with favorable conditions, McCaffrey's trade compensation is assuredly high currently, as Schefter reports that the Panthers have already rejected two offers from other teams, and won't consider offers that don't meet their standards for a trade.
"The Panthers rebuffed at least two teams' inquiries into trading for McCaffrey last week and will continue to reject overtures they don't consider significant offers, according to sources."
Draft-wise, the 49ers currently have eight draft picks, which should rise once the compensatory formula is calculated, including three third-round picks, but it's unclear whether they'll depart with the necessary capital to acquire McCaffrey's services from the Panthers.
The NFL trade deadline is steadily approaching, as all moves must be facilitated by 4 PM EST on November 1st, meaning that news surrounding the 49ers' interest in McCaffrey could circulate sooner than later.