The early birds in the Christian McCaffrey trade derby, the Bills saw the price rise to an untenable place. The 49ers ended up acquiring the All-Pro running back for a four-pick compensation package, but the Bills may not have been the third team to submit a firm offer.
These sweepstakes came down to the 49ers and Rams, but the Bills stayed in touch with the Panthers throughout. Despite the Bills doing so and calling the Panthers about McCaffrey this offseason, Albert Breer of SI.com notes Buffalo is not believed to have made an offer (Twitter link). Panthers GM Scott Fitterer said three offers came in. A report earlier Friday indicated the Broncos also did not propose trade terms, leaving the identity of the third offer a mystery.
Buffalo is believed to be prioritizing its 2023 first-round pick, despite it being a weapon neither Los Angeles nor San Francisco possessed. The Matthew Stafford and Trey Lance trades, respectively, stripped the Rams and 49ers of their 2023 first-rounders. But the Bills did not want to include a first for McCaffrey.
The Bills were among the first to call the Panthers on McCaffrey during these in-season sweepstakes, Breer adds. But, as the Panthers informed the Bills where the trade talks were heading, Buffalo’s Carolina-imported brass stood down. Considering McCaffrey’s injury history and the high costs on the Bills’ payroll — a rumored issue regarding McCaffrey’s high salaries from 2023-25 — it is understandable they did not want to include their top 2023 draft asset.
Bills-Panthers connections have produced several Buffalo-to-Charlotte treks since Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane arrived in Buffalo. Josh Norman, Mario Addison, Kelvin Benjamin, A.J. Klein, Daryl Williams and Vernon Butler, among others, all stopped through Buffalo during the McDermott-Beane rebuild. Current Panthers assistant GM Dan Morgan was also with the Bills from 2018-20, strengthening the pipeline between these organizations. Hired to succeed Doug Whaley shortly after the 2017 draft, Beane was still with the Panthers when they chose McCaffrey eighth overall that year. But the 49ers were the first team to send the Panthers a CMC offer. The Stanford alum also was believed to prefer a San Francisco landing.
The Bills have assembled probably their best team since at least 1993, but their run game has been Josh Allen-dependent for multiple seasons now. Allen’s 257 rushing yards lead the team, though Devin Singletary has 256. Singletary and second-round pick James Cook lead Buffalo’s backfield, with Zack Moss having drifted off the radar. The Bills used a second-round pick on Cook and have Singletary in a contract year. Barring a trade for another back, this coalition will represent Buffalo’s backfield during the team’s latest Super Bowl push.
The Bills will be better off without the injury prone running back with a high salary… They keep their picks and draft a reasonable facsimile for a lot less money…
it’s a lot of money for what would’ve just been a luxury.
I feel Singletary is pretty good, and they barely even use him as is.
The Rams were surely very interested, as a lead back would help them out tremendously, especially one they can check down to.
How many times can you beat a dead horse? While I’m sure many teams kicked the tires, Buffalo’s GM isn’t dumb enough to mortgage his future for an injury-prone (yet talented) RB. Of course, OL depth might be another story…
While 49ers have a great running game, they destroy running backs. That’s just a fact. They ALL end up hurt. Not hard to see how this ends. Bills are much better off not being involved in this trade.
Frank Gore says hello.
Tell him I said hello back.
It would be a Charlotte-to-Buffalo pipeline, not the other way around as written in this article.
Who knows? I wish CMC would’ve gone to Buffalo cuz I don’t see him as long term.
If the 49ers play split village with him and Wilson or whoever okay, but his 1000/1000 2019 season was a long time ago. He’s compiled that same amount in the past 3 seasons combined. That’s right, 3 past seasons to one for that glory. Panthers dropped Robinson and then him.
For the 49ers to go all out without Bosa and others?….I don’t really get it.
Okay, bringing it “home”, rah rah. I like them all, I hope they conquer. But…the fact that Buffalo being ready to go all out and win it this year didn’t even bite should say something.
Without Bosa and others? lol Nick Bosa, Trent Williams & Jimmie Ward are all back and playing this week. What are you talking about?
I don’t know, I guess time will tell.
“What are you talking about?”
“I don’t know, I guess time will tell.”
Lol.