ESPN's David Newton reported on Thursday night that the Carolina Panthers are trading star running back Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers. They made the move but did not get a first-round pick in return.
The San Francisco 49ers are sending second-, third- and fourth-round picks in 2023 and a fifth-round pick in 2024 to the Carolina Panthers for star running back Christian McCaffrey, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Thursday night. The deal gives San Francisco the offensive weapon needed to compete for a Super Bowl.
October 20th,, 2022 article at ESPN
San Francisco had to do something
The 49ers are just 3-3 on the season as they prepare for Week 6. They are in a division that is tight and the acquisition of McCaffrey promises to give them a major edge. San Francisco has disappointing results this season with losses to the Chicago Bears, the Denver Broncos, and the Atlanta Falcons. These are three teams that are not considered to be elite in the NFL.
Jeff Wilson Jr. becomes 'cisco's RB2
Rushing was not a particularly weak point for San Francisco. Jeff Wilson Jr. has 400 rushing yards on the season, the current leader of the team. He will presumably be relegated to RB2 status with McCaffrey taking over as the team's RB1.
The 49ers have also used Deebo Samuel in rushing plays. A wide receiver, Samuel has 136 rushing yards on the season. He is one of the top threats in the NFL for rushing and receiving double-skill-set in the wide receiver position.
San Francisco's betting odds
Betting odds on the San Francisco 49ers were removed for some ante-post markets, presumably in response to the trade news. On October 17th, we looked at San Fran's odds to make the NFL playoffs with bet365. Their odds of NOT making the playoffs seemed long at the time at +240 (12/5).
San Francisco's next game is this Sunday when they host the Kansas City Chiefs. Whether they will be able to integrate McCaffrey immediately isn't clear. The 49ers are +2.0 underdogs with bet365 as of late Thursday.
As for the Carolina Panthers, there's not much to say. This is a team that's not about winning this season but that was pretty clear before the McCaffrey trade. The Panthers previously traded Robbie Anderson.
