Earlier this week, we posted the Vegas odds on Christian McCaffrey’s next team. The 49ers were on the list, but just barely, with the oddsmakers positing that the likelihood of the star running back playing the second half of the season in a San Francisco uniform was little more than a pipe dream.
Well, maybe it’s a bit more than that after a CBS Sports report on Saturday, stating that the 49ers are one of four teams to have made a call regarding McCaffrey in recent days.
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.
The report would seem to indicate that McCaffrey isn’t exactly on the trading block as had previously been reported, at least not yet. After firing head coach Matt Rhule following their blowout loss to the 49ers last week, many believe that a fire sale is on the horizon for the Panthers.
It’s easy to drool while imagining McCaffrey in Kyle Shanahan’s offense, but you should also remember that the 49ers and Shanahan don’t have a history of paying big money to running backs. Shanahan’s offensive system is predicated on getting great production out of the running game nearly independent of who is carrying the ball.
Even if the Panthers aren’t looking to trade him yet, it’s not hard to imagine that they could start taking inquiries more seriously if they lose a couple more games before the Nov. 1 trade deadline.
