49ers’ aggressiveness in acquiring Christian McCaffrey partially inspired by rival Rams

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — All through his first 4 years because the San Francisco 49ers’ coach, Kyle Shanahan grew accustomed to seeing the NFC West rival Los Angeles Rams make one daring commerce after one other. Brandin Cooks, Marcus Peters and Jalen Ramsey are simply three of the big-name gamers the Rams have acquired since Sean McVay took over as coach in 2017.

Whereas the Niners had some gentle curiosity in a few these gamers, they by no means discovered themselves in a bidding struggle with the Rams for any of them. That modified final week, when the 49ers and Rams engaged in a battle to accumulate star working again Christian McCaffrey.

The Carolina Panthers initially sought a first-round choose. However over the course of roughly per week, the value dropped — key since neither the Niners or Rams has a first-round alternative within the 2023 draft — and it grew to become clear that it will be a showdown within the NFC West to land McCaffrey.

When all of it got here collectively Thursday evening, the 49ers received out, buying McCaffrey for second-, third- and fourth-round picks in 2023 and a fifth-round choice in 2024. Whereas McCaffrey’s expertise was the first purpose the Niners pursued him, neither basic supervisor John Lynch nor Shanahan deny how Los Angeles’ aggressive strategy has affected them on the sphere and deepened their want to maintain McCaffrey away from the Rams, whom they will face at SoFi Stadium on Sunday (4:25 p.m. ET, Fox).

“I am glad he isn’t there,” Lynch mentioned. “I all the time say, ‘Hey guys, it is about us.’ … In case you’re so centered in your opponents, you are not going to do very nicely. However I additionally know the quickest approach to success in our league is profitable your division. And so, partially, it looks like numerous these conditions find yourself the place it is us towards them in these items, and I am certain glad he is right here and never there.”

That happiness is rooted partly in the truth that the Niners had been on the opposite aspect of an identical state of affairs in January 2021, when the Detroit Lions made quarterback Matthew Stafford accessible.

Earlier than the 49ers may make a big provide, the Rams struck, sending quarterback Jared Goff, a third-round alternative and two first-round picks to the Lions for Stafford. After the deal, Stafford mentioned on Ramsey’s podcast that he believed he was going to be a 49er, and Shanahan has lamented not being extra aggressive in attempting to get him. In his first season with the Rams, Stafford led them to a Tremendous Bowl victory, knocking off the Niners within the NFC Championship Recreation to get there.

Even earlier than the Stafford deal, Shanahan had acknowledged that the Rams would not hesitate to tug the set off on such a giant transfer and that different groups had been prepared to half with once-precious draft personnel. The Seattle Seahawks traded a number of first-round picks for security Jamal Adams in 2020 and the Arizona Cardinals dealt a second-rounder for wideout DeAndre Hopkins that very same yr.

The Niners weren’t afraid to make massive strikes — they’ve traded for defensive finish Dee Ford, sort out Trent Williams, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and receiver Emmanuel Sanders since 2017 — however had largely clung to first-round picks and infrequently refused to enter bidding wars.

Lacking out on Stafford appeared to vary that mindset.

Lower than two months later, the 49ers traded three first-round picks and a third-round choice to leap 9 spots within the 2021 draft and choose quarterback Trey Lance. It was the primary commerce the Niners made since Shanahan and Lynch took over in 2017 by which they dealt away future first-round picks.

“It simply wasn’t like how I believe it was for all of us 10 years in the past to go, even 15 years in the past when that stuff was exceptional,” Shanahan mentioned. “You did not even focus on it. It is all the time a threat in all the pieces you do, and typically it is a threat not doing it. However anytime you may have examples, like … the Rams have given them to us nearly yearly, however I watch different groups who’ve executed it too and it is good to observe individuals do it and see what’s good from it, what’s unhealthy from it.”

When McCaffrey’s identify first surfaced on the commerce block a few weeks in the past, many had been fast to attach him to the Rams. That they had a obvious want at working again and for somebody to lighten receiver Cooper Kupp’s workload. The Niners had been introduced up, too, partially due to Shanahan’s curiosity in McCaffrey within the 2017 draft in addition to the ties between their households.

Given the Rams’ popularity for closing offers, Lynch tried his greatest to wrap up a commerce for McCaffrey whereas the Niners had been staying in West Virginia between Weeks 5 and 6.

“I used to be attempting to [get it done quickly], as a result of I do know their propensity to return in late and go massive,” Lynch mentioned. “I used to be attempting to get it executed earlier than, however that wasn’t going occur. … We needed to be affected person, wait it by and in the end weigh it on the finish of the day if it was a great determination for us.”

Carolina started backing off its preliminary first-round ask when no one was prepared to pay that worth for a working again who has missed 23 of 33 video games the earlier two seasons. With that off the desk, the Niners and Rams may bid extra freely. As Thursday wore on, the Niners lastly supplied Carolina an appropriate worth, and the Rams had reached their most bid earlier than bowing out.

McVay and the Rams had been on bye however would possibly as nicely have been taking part in a division rivalry sport towards the Niners that week.

“I believe the factor that I respect is there’s good competitiveness,” McVay mentioned. “Typically among the strikes are made with No. 1, if it advantages your crew, however then it is also not attempting to assist strengthen others. I believe that is only a sound strategy. I do not assume we had been the primary individuals to try this by any stretch. However I believe there’s a willingness to be aggressive in your pursuit of attempting to do what’s greatest on your crew and attempting to present your self a possibility to go do particular issues yr in and yr out. Actually, the Niners are a kind of groups that is executed that.”