Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
John Lynch: Christian McCaffrey has improved since trade to 49ers
Jan 20, 2023 at 9:23 AM
•
Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
The San Francisco 49ers were always impressed with
Christian McCaffrey, going back to his pre-draft evaluation in 2017. That's why when rumors started spreading that the Carolina Panthers running back might be available via a trade in October, general manager John Lynch and his staff jumped into action.
Tight end
George Kittle remembers when he first heard about the trade.
"I was literally playing video games, and my buddy goes, 'Hey, did you see Twitter? You guys just got Christian McCaffrey,'" Kittle shared last week. "And I said, 'Shut the front door,' and I called [McCaffrey] immediately. He was like, 'I have no idea what's going on.' I was like, 'Neither do I, but welcome to the Niners, man. We're going to have a good time.'"
About 48 hours after arriving in Santa Clara, McCaffrey was suited up and played against the Kansas City Chiefs. He made his first start with his new team a week later against the Los Angeles Rams. San Francisco won that game and the 10 that followed, including this past weekend's Wild Card win over the Seattle Seahawks.
The 49ers already had a lot of weapons on offense, like Kittle,
Deebo Samuel, and
Brandon Aiyuk. Adding one more seemed unfair to opposing defenses.
"Did we need it? Nah. I don't know if we needed it," general manager John Lynch said Thursday of the McCaffrey trade on KNBR's
Tolbert & Copes show. "And I think those are the most opportune times to make trades or acquisitions, when you don't need it, but man,
This could make us different. This could make us special."
McCaffrey's presence has had an impact. The offense has improved, and the 49ers are preparing to face the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the playoffs despite losing two starting quarterbacks this season.
Lynch has been impressed with McCaffrey's work ethic and preparation. The running back instantly became a leader in the locker room. The general manager believes the trade to the 49ers has benefitted McCaffrey. Three months after arriving in Santa Clara, the running back might be even better than he was in Charlotte.
"Kyle's (Shanahan) going to coach everyone hard, and when he makes comments to Christian, Christian listens," Lynch said, "and Christian's become a better football player since being here, and that's kind of cool to watch. It says a lot about who he is."
McCaffrey has registered 1,346 total yards and 11 total touchdowns since the Panthers traded him to the 49ers, including this past weekend's playoff win over the Seahawks.
You can listen to the entire conversation with Lynch below.
Facebook Comments
More San Francisco 49ers News
Should the 49ers be worried about Christian McCaffrey's workload?
It's not an exaggeration to say that RB Christian McCaffrey is coming off one of the best individual seasons in the history of the San Francisco 49ers.
In his first full year in red and gold, McCaffrey led the NFL in rushing yards (1,459), total yards (2,023) and total touchdowns (21) on his way to becoming Offensive Player of the Year. His yards on the ground were the fourth most ever for a Niners running back and his 21 touchdowns trailed only WR Jerry Rice's team record of 23, which the Hall of Famer accomplished in just 12 games in 1987. McCaffrey was also prolific in the passing game, hauling in 67 receptions and often providing a safety net for QB Brock Purdy.
Because McCaffrey has meant so much to Kyle Shanahan's scheme, it's easy to see why the offense
49ers' John Lynch, Chris Foerster on hand to scout Washington Huskies prospects
San Francisco 49ers GM John Lynch and Offensive Line coach Chris Foerster were in Seattle on Saturday scouting prospects of the Washington Huskies. While Washington has multiple talented draft prospects, the fact that Foerster was accompanying Lynch is notable considering Washington has two offensive linemen who are getting a lot of attention—Troy Fautanu and Roger Rosengarten.
Per source, John Lynch, Chris Foerster looked at several Washington draft prospects today. Huskies are loaded with draft talent, including …WR: Rome Odunze, Ja'Lynn Polk, Jalen McMillanOL: Troy Fautanu, Roger RosengartenEDGE:
Brandon Aiyuk's agent denies rumor that 49ers WR has requested trade
A sketchy rumor surfaced on Sunday morning, alleging that San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk had requested a trade.
BREAKING: Brandon Aiyuk has officially requested a trade from the 49ers, per confirmation from my San Francisco source. Benjamin Allbright & 49ersSportsTalk have also done some preliminary reporting on this story. As of Sunday morning, April 14, the Steelers have been the… pic.twitter.com/plCkQo87lj— John Frascella (Football) (@LegendSports7)
Insider provides clarity on 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk trade rumors
A questionable rumor surfaced on Wednesday regarding the Pittsburgh Steelers' interest in San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. Sports Illustrated contributor Noah Strackbein reported that the AFC team was seemingly confident they could pull off a trade for Aiyuk.
However, the credibility of this report comes into question due to the assertion that the Steelers believe they could acquire Aiyuk at a bargain price, possibly in exchange for a second-round draft pick and a late-round selection.
RELATED: Steelers believe they can acquire Aiyuk at a