Christian McCaffrey Trade To The San Francisco 49ers: Analyzing The Fit And Finances

In case you have adopted this web page over the previous couple weeks, you understand full properly {that a} sure somebody has been advocating for the San Francisco 49ers to commerce for Professional Bowl working again Christian McCaffrey.

I gained’t go as far to say that normal supervisor John Lynch and Co. heeded my name. However late Thursday night, information broke that just about shattered the NFL information cycle.

A number of media stories indicated that San Francisco did certainly purchase McCaffrey from the Carolina Panthers in a blockbuster commerce. Each San Francisco and Carolina made the deal official a bit whereas later.

In return for one of many recreation’s most-electric gamers, San Francisco despatched second-and-third-round picks in 2023, a fourth-round choose subsequent April and a fifth rounder in 2024 to Carolina.

To be clear, this can be a excessive worth to pay for an injury-plagued again who had suited up in a mixed 10 video games within the earlier two seasons forward of the 2022 marketing campaign.

But it surely’s additionally a transfer that San Francisco seen as a necessity following an unsightly Week 6 loss to the Atlanta Falcons and with the group set to welcome the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs to city on Sunday.

A primary-round choose of the Panthers out of Stanford again in 2017, McCaffrey has returned to pre-injury type this far this season with 670 complete yards and three touchdowns via six video games. Let’s break down this deal under.

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Christian McCaffrey’s Match With The San Francisco 49ers

Objectively, it couldn’t be extra preferrred for each side. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has at all times fancied himself dual-threat working backs relationship again to his days because the Houston Texans’ offensive coordinator all the best way again in 2008.

McCaffrey is simply that. Actually, his 33 receptions this season would lead the 49ers. Previous to the accidents of the previous two seasons, McCaffrey caught a mixed 223 passes whereas hauling in 83.8% of his targets in 2018 and 2019.

It’s additionally not like McCaffrey doesn’t do injury on the bottom. He’s averaging 61 dashing yards per recreation at a clip of 4.6 yards per try all through his profession.

McCaffrey has a great deal of expertise in San Francisco’s exterior zone-blocking scheme, too. That ought to make it a seamless transition for the star again.

The addition of McCaffrey modifications the dynamics for San Francisco’s offense in an enormous manner. As soon as he returns from damage, Elijah Mitchell will likely be used a change-of-pace again. The 49ers can even make the most of present RB1 Jeff Wilson as a short-yardage man. He’s scored a whopping 19 touchdowns in his previous 37 video games.

Extra importantly, opposing defenses are actually going to have main points game-planning in opposition to the 49ers.

Deebo Samuel doubtless gained’t must see a lot motion within the backfield with McCaffrey within the combine. He can now focus totally on being a large receiver reverse breakout participant Brandon Aiyuk.

The concept of defenses having to plan for formations with the likes of McCaffrey, Kittle, Samuel and Aiyuk all on the sphere is a factor of nightmares for coordinators.

Funds Of The Christian McCaffrey Commerce

From a wage cap perspective, this deal does little or no in 2022. McCaffrey is due a mere $1.035 million base wage after restructuring his conract with Carolina again within the spring. San Francisco is on the hook for a pro-rated model of that (roughly $669,705.00).

The long-term outlook is completely different. McCaffrey is taking part in beneath a four-year, $64 million contract that he signed again in April of 2020. He’s set to depend $19.55 million in opposition to the cap in 2023 with cap hits of $19.55 million in 2024 and $15.45 million in 2025.

By way of the 49ers duty for that, he’ll depend $12 million in opposition to their cap in 2023 and 2024 with a $12.2 million hit in 2025.

By taking up McCaffrey’s contract, Lynch and Co. are actually committing top-end money to one more place.

Even previous to this blockbuster commerce, the likes of fullback Kyle Juszczyk, tight finish George Kittle, left deal with Trent Williams, linebacker Fred Warner, broad receiver Deebo Samuel and defensive lineman Arik Armstead had been among the many highest-paid NFL gamers at their respective positions.

This doesn’t even keep in mind the necessity to signal Professional Bowl edge rusher Nick Bosa to what could be a record-breaking contract extension subsequent summer season. His new deal will doubtless are available at someplace close to $25 million yearly.

Previous to this deal, San Francisco was projected to have roughly $18.5 million in cap room for subsequent season. The McCaffrey commerce brings this to properly beneath $10 million.

Monetary gymnastics must be a part of the sport for the 49ers’ entrance workplace. This could doubtless embody restructuring the contracts of Williams, Armstead, Warner, Kittle and Charvarius Ward, who’re set to depend a mixed $76-plus million in opposition to the cap in 2023.

Because it stands, the 49ers have avenues that would assist with the cap subsequent spring. The rise within the NFL wage cap shifting ahead as a result of its historic tv contracts will assist right here, too.

Remaining San Francisco 49ers Draft Picks Following Christian McCaffrey Commerce

On the floor, this deal appears to deplete San Francisco’s draft capital, particularly with its first-round choose within the 2023 NFL Draft already gone because of the Trey Lance deal.

That’s simply on the floor. The 49ers are projected to choose up two third-round compensatory picks beneath the guise of the NFL’s minority hiring program. It also needs to choose up a fifth, sixth and seventh by way of the NFL free-agent compensation loophole.

This could depart the 49ers with a pleasant quantity of choices as soon as all is alleged and performed. Positive they’ll be with out picks within the first two rounds. However the query turns into whether or not anybody chosen in that vary would have wherever close to the identical influence as a wholesome Christian McCaffrey over the subsequent three-plus seasons. It appears extremely unlikely.