Bills To Acquire Dean Marlowe From Falcons
The Bills’ Nyheim Hines trade was not their only buzzer-beating move ahead of Tuesday’s deadline. Prior to the since-passed endpoint for NFL 2022 trading, the Bills acquired a familiar name to bolster their safety position.
They are trading for Falcons safety Dean Marlowe, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). The Bills are sending the Falcons a seventh-round pick for Marlowe, a New York native who spent three seasons with the Bills.
Marlowe, 30, played in Buffalo from 2018-20 but has been with the Lions and Falcons over the past two seasons. With Micah Hyde out for the season and Jordan Poyer suffering an injury in Week 8, the Bills will reunite with a player that should not have much trouble moving back into Sean McDermott‘s scheme.
Previously serving as a reserve behind Buffalo’s top-tier Hyde-Poyer tandem, Marlowe played in 26 games with McDermott’s team and started seven. Marlowe, who caught on with the Bills via a practice squad agreement in December 2017, returns to Buffalo as a higher-profile player capable of fortifying the team’s uncertain safety spot. He has 17 career starts during his NFL career, which began when he spent his rookie season as a Panthers reserve on their Super Bowl-bound 2015 squad.
It is not known how much time, if any, Poyer will miss. The veteran safety said he felt a pop in his elbow during the Bills’ win over the Packers on Sunday night. Poyer went through an MRI on Monday. If the Bills were forced to play without Poyer and Hyde, it would represent new territory for a team that has extracted considerable value since pairing the veterans in 2017. The Bills have used 2021 sixth-rounder Damar Hamlin as Hyde’s primary replacement, with fourth-year man Jaquan Johnson mixing in. Marlowe and Johnson represent the team’s top insurance options against a Poyer absence.
In the minutes before the deadline, the Falcons both received and sent out seventh-round picks. They traded a seventh for Chiefs cornerback Rashad Fenton, having seen injuries alter their corner situation, and recouped that value via Marlowe minutes later. Young talent Richie Grant and Jaylinn Hawkins are Atlanta’s starting safeties; Marlowe and Erik Harris served as depth pieces for the NFC South-leading team.
Colts To Trade RB Nyheim Hines To Bills
The Bills will beat the buzzer by acquiring a running back. Nyheim Hines is Buffalo-bound, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The longtime Colts passing-down back/return man surfaced in trade rumors Monday night and will join a 6-1 Bills team.
Hines will head to Buffalo in a package that includes Zack Moss going to Indianapolis. The Bills are trading Moss and a conditional sixth-round pick to the Colts in exchange for Hines, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Moss is signed through 2023.
This move comes after Buffalo was involved in talks for both Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara. While Hines is not on that level, he has been a longtime Colts complementary piece. After signing an Indianapolis extension last year, Hines is signed through 2024. Momentum began to build toward a Hines deal earlier Tuesday, and his three-year, $18MM pact will change hands.
A part of the Colts’ impact 2018 draft class, Hines has been the team’s passing-down back supplementing both Marlon Mack and Jonathan Taylor, catching at least 40 passes in each of his four full seasons. Hines topped 60 receptions in 2018 and 2020, displaying rare durability at his position. Hines has missed just one game as a pro.
Buffalo’s backfield equation changed in the spring, when a J.D. McKissic agreement did not lead to a finalized contract. McKissic reneged on the deal and went back to Washington. The Bills then drafted James Cook in Round 2 this year. Cook had overtaken Moss as the AFC East leaders’ No. 2 back. It will be interesting to see how the Bills use Cook now that Hines is in this Devin Singletary-fronted mix.
Hines, who turns 26 next week, has also worked as Indy’s punt returner since his second season. The North Carolina State product produced two punt-return touchdowns in that 2019 campaign. As they gun for their first championship since the AFL days, the Bills are undoubtedly planning to take advantage of Hines’ versatility. Hines has 19 career touchdowns, with a career-high seven coming in 2020.
The Bills inquired about McCaffrey this offseason and could have outflanked the 49ers by offering a first-round pick. But Buffalo viewed a first as too rich for the ex-Carolina star and did not make an offer. The team asked the Saints about Kamara recently, but New Orleans — which has not otherwise been linked to trading the five-time Pro Bowler — rebuffed that inquiry. Hines could be a nice consolation prize.
This does qualify as a seller trade for the Colts, but they have underperformed to start the season and are now breaking in another new quarterback (Sam Ehlinger). Moss will be part of the team’s Jonathan Taylor backup crew. The Bills took Moss in the 2020 second round and used him extensively during the first season and change of his career. The Utah product backed up Singletary primarily, totaling 1,118 scrimmage yards over his first two seasons. But Singletary received most of the backfield work down the stretch last season for the pass-first squad. Cook’s arrival further reduced Moss’ role this season. He will attempt to rebound as a Taylor backup.
Saints Unlikely To Trade RB Alvin Kamara; Bills’ Overtures “Rebuffed”
As we are just two days away from the trade deadline, plenty of fans and pundits are looking at the rosters of teams that profile as potential sellers and are speculating as to what notable players on those teams could be on the move. If one looks at record alone, the 2-5 Saints certainly appear to be more likely sellers than buyers.
However, New Orleans is just one game out of first place in the woeful NFC South, and Nick Underhill of New Orleans.Football says that the club is “focused on making the playoffs,” which would seem to preclude any seller-type moves. With respect to recent speculation that RB Alvin Kamara is generating trade interest, Underhill suggests that the Saints are not inclined to trade the five-time Pro Bowler.
That doesn’t mean that teams have not contacted GM Mickey Loomis to check in on Kamara’s availability. Jay Glazer of FOX Sports reported on Sunday that the Bills called the Saints about a potential Kamara trade, only to be rebuffed (video link). It’s unclear whether New Orleans simply declined to engage in discussions, or if Buffalo’s proposal was not appealing enough.
The Bills were reportedly interested in former Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey before Carolina dealt him to the 49ers, though Buffalo brass did not actually make an offer for CMC. In a piece that was published Sunday morning, NFL.com reporters Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero, and Mike Garafolo noted that, in exchange for Kamara, the Saints would want a package on par with the one that the Panthers received from the Niners, which was comprised of San Francisco’s second-, third- and fourth-round picks in 2023 and a fifth-round 2024 selection. The Kamara-related portion of the NFL.com report was subsequently deleted.
Clearly, the Super Bowl contender Bills want to upgrade their RB room, and Kamara would be an attractive fit for any number of clubs. He is playing out the current season on a $1.035MM salary, and he is due reasonable payouts of $9.4MM in 2023 and $10.2MM in 2024. He is scheduled to earn $22.4MM in 2025, but he will be 30 by that point, and his contract is easily escapable at any time between now and then (at least for a team that acquires him via trade). $1MM of his 2023 salary is guaranteed, and other than that, there is no guaranteed money remaining on his deal.
Of course, the expectation is that Kamara will be hit with a six-game suspension due to his pending felony battery charge, and it presently appears as if he will end up serving that ban in 2023. That obviously hurts his trade value, though his on-field performance has been consistent with the elite level he established over his first few years in the league. Despite dealing with a rib injury that has kept him out of two games this season, Kamara managed 77 carries for 351 yards entering Sunday’s matchup with the Raiders. That amounts to a 4.6 YPC rate, which is in line with his career average and represents a nice bounce-back from a disappointing 2021 campaign that saw him post a career-low 3.7 YPC mark.
2022 NFL Cap Space, By Team
Days away from this year’s trade deadline (3pm CT, Nov. 1), a few teams have made some in-season moves to bolster their rosters. Several squads have also restructured contracts this season to create additional space. That extra room will matter as most teams will consider adding or subtracting costs before Tuesday’s deadline.
Here is how teams’ cap-space numbers (courtesy of OverTheCap) look ahead of the deadline:
- Cleveland Browns: $33.72MM
- Las Vegas Raiders: $10.35MM
- Carolina Panthers: $9.79MM
- Atlanta Falcons: $9.71MM
- Philadelphia Eagles: $9.47MM
- Denver Broncos: $7.79MM
- Pittsburgh Steelers: $7.69MM
- Indianapolis Colts: $7.23MM
- Dallas Cowboys: $7.16MM
- Chicago Bears: $7.08MM
- Green Bay Packers: $6.6MM
- Miami Dolphins: $6.16MM
- New York Jets: $5.71MM
- Los Angeles Chargers: $4.97MM
- San Francisco 49ers: $4.95MM
- Los Angeles Rams: $4.93MM
- Arizona Cardinals: $4.76MM
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $4.3MM
- Washington Commanders: $4.26MM
- Kansas City Chiefs: $3.86MM
- Seattle Seahawks: $3.71MM
- Jacksonville Jaguars: $3.67MM
- New Orleans Saints: $3.61MM
- Cincinnati Bengals: $3.31MM
- New York Giants: $3.26MM
- Detroit Lions: $3.25MM
- Baltimore Ravens: $3.07MM
- New England Patriots: $2.19MM
- Houston Texans: $2.09MM
- Buffalo Bills: $1.93MM
- Tennessee Titans: $1.59MM
- Minnesota Vikings: $852K
The Browns have held the top spot for months, and the gulf between their cap-space figure and the field almost certainly stems from a desire to carry over cap space before Deshaun Watson‘s cap number spikes from $9.4MM to a runaway-record $54.99MM. Cleveland has recently been linked to creating more cap space. Interest has come in for Greedy Williams, who is in the final year of his rookie contract, and Kareem Hunt. Although the Browns did not grant Hunt’s summer trade request, it may now take only a fourth-round pick for Cleveland to deal its backup running back.
Another potential seller could move up on this list while creating some additional space in 2023. The Broncos are believed to have made Jerry Jeudy available. Unlike fellow trade chip Bradley Chubb, Jeudy is under contract for 2023 (on a $4.83MM cap number). Denver appears more likely to move Chubb. That departure would remove the franchise tag from the team’s equation in 2023 — barring a tag for fellow 2023 UFA-to-be Dre’Mont Jones — thus freeing up more free agency funds. It will be interesting if the Broncos, if they are to move Chubb, agree to eat much of his fifth-year option salary. George Paton‘s club took on most of Von Miller‘s 2021 money to increase draft compensation.
The Eagles are still near the top despite acquiring Robert Quinn. Philadelphia is paying just $684K of Quinn’s contract, which now runs through 2022 instead of 2024. Chicago is on the hook for $7.1MM. The Bears are on track to have a gargantuan lead on the field for 2023 cap space. They are projected to hold more than $125MM next year, according to OverTheCap.
New Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney checks in at just $784K on their 2022 cap sheet. The former Giants first-rounder’s figures bump to $1.9MM (2023) and $2.53MM (’24). Kansas City recently restructured Travis Kelce‘s deal, creating some wiggle room for the Toney addition. The Chiefs, who did not touch Patrick Mahomes‘ deal this year, restructured Kelce’s contract twice in 2022. Thursday’s trade hit the Giants with a $2.33MM dead-money charge. Toney will count $3.67MM in dead money for the Giants in 2023.
The Panthers picked up nearly $19MM in 2022 dead money via the Robbie Anderson and Christian McCaffrey trades. Unlike the Eagles and Bears, last week’s Panthers-49ers McCaffrey swap did not involve Carolina taking on additional salary. McCaffrey’s offseason restructure dropped his 2022 base salary to the league minimum; the 49ers have him on their books at just $690K. McCaffrey’s record-setting extension will still represent $18.35MM in dead money on the Panthers’ 2023 cap, but his nonguaranteed base salaries from 2023-25 ($11.8MM, $11.8MM, $12MM) transferred fully from Carolina to San Francisco.
On the subject of 2022 dead money, the Bears lead the way with $80.32MM. The Falcons added to their total this month, however, by trading Deion Jones to the Browns. That deal saddled the Falcons with $11.38MM in additional dead money — accompanying the franchise’s record-setting Matt Ryan dead-money hit ($40.53MM) — and ballooned Atlanta’s overall total to $78.57MM. Ryan is off the Falcons’ books after this year, but Jones will carry a $12.14MM dead-money figure in 2023.
AFC Notes: Ryan, Jets, Bills, Chargers
Matt Ryan has started each of his 239 appearances (including playoffs) in the NFL, but he’ll find himself behind Sam Ehlinger on the depth chart for Sunday’s game against the Commanders. Despite the sudden change of role, Ryan told Joel E. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star that he hasn’t thought about asking the Colts for a trade.
Ryan is currently dealing with a shoulder issue, and while there’s a chance he’ll be active against Washington, the QB admitted that the injury is significant. Either way, the Colts made it clear that their change atop the QB depth chart would have happened regardless of the veteran’s health. Now, Ryan will likely find himself serving as a backup for the rest of the season.
“That part is different,” Ryan said of his new role. “But I’ve also learned in this league, it’s tough to assume anything. The minute you start to make assumptions about how things are going to shake out, you just never know. For me, No. 1, it’s about getting healthy and getting myself into a position where I’m staying ready.”
Ryan also acknowledged that he was disappointed in his performance through the first seven games. While the Colts are a respectable 3-3-1, the offense has been inconsistent, with Ryan completing 68.4 percent of his passes while tossing nine touchdowns vs. nine interceptions.
“Individually and personally disappointed,” Ryan said. “As a player and a competitor, you want to be out there. You want to go. … It’s part of the deal in this league. You’ve got to produce.”
More notes from around the AFC…
- After asking for a trade and sitting out Week 7, Elijah Moore has rejoined the Jets, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post (on Twitter). The receiver is expected to be active for Week 8. The 2021 second-round pick has been limited to only 16 catches in six games this season, including zero catches on zero targets in New York’s Week 6 win over the Packers. That empty stat line ultimately prompted Moore’s trade request.
- Speaking of the Jets, the team made headlines when they acquired running back James Robinson from the Jaguars earlier this week. While Robinson saw a reduced role during his last few games in Jacksonville, it wasn’t necessarily because of an impending trade. Jaguars coach Doug Pederson told reporters that the team wasn’t actively shopping the running back, per ESPN’s Michael DiRocco on Twitter. The Jets initiated trade talks after losing star rookie RB Breece Hall for the season. “I have a ton of respect for James,” Pederson said. “He put himself in a position to help our football team, and now he gets a chance to do that with the Jets and wishing him well.”
- Tre’Davious White has missed the first chunk of the season while recovering from a torn ACL, but Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier told reporters that the cornerback’s return to the lineup doesn’t appear to be “that far away” (via Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic on Twitter). White returned to practice before Week 6, and his three-week window will soon be coming to an end. While it doesn’t sound like he’ll be active on Sunday night, there’s a good chance he’ll be back for Week 9.
- Chargers cornerback J.C. Jackson had surgery yesterday to repair his patellar tendon, per NFL Network’s Bridget Condon on Twitter. The surgery generally takes around eight to nine months to recover from. The offseason acquisition ruptured the tendon on Sunday, ending his 2022 campaign prematurely.
Bills Never Made Christian McCaffrey Offer?
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.
CMC Trade Fallout: Panthers, Offers, 49ers, Draft, Shanahan, Rams, Bills, Broncos, RBs
While reports indicating Christian McCaffrey‘s availability appeared at select points this year, this process began to heat up in the days after Matt Rhule‘s firing. Last week became a tipping point, with McCaffrey’s position on the trade block becoming a relentless NFL story.
Scott Fitterer said he received initial McCaffrey offers last Friday, and while the team fell just short of receiving a first-round equivalent, the second-year GM said the combined value comes close (Twitter links via Panthers.com’s Darin Gantt). Interest picked up over the past two days, and Fitterer said three teams submitted hard offers.
The 49ers were the first team to reach out, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets, doing so last Friday. Other teams started calling Tuesday. The process concluded with the 49ers sending the Panthers second-, third- and fourth-round picks in 2023 and a fifth-rounder in 2024.
It is safe to say the Rams were one of the final three. They were viewed as the silver medalist for the dual-threat running back, with NFL.com’s Peter Schrager indicating the Rams’ interest helped fuel the 49ers’ pursuit (video link). This reminds of 2021’s Matthew Stafford sweepstakes, when the 49ers pursued the veteran quarterback only to see the Rams swoop in late with a monster offer.
Cam Akers‘ struggles recapturing his pre-Achilles-tear form already led to some issues in the Rams’ backfield, matters compounded by injuries on their offensive line, but the third-year back’s trade likelihood further complicates this situation. Darrell Henderson resides as Los Angeles’ top back, but the team may still be on the lookout. Though, absent a talent like McCaffrey, it is possible the defending Super Bowl champions focus their pre-deadline efforts on higher-value positions.
The Bills may have been the third team. Buffalo checked in on McCaffrey this offseason, and while the team did not submit an offer then, it wanted a courtesy call in the event Carolina became serious about moving its All-Pro back. The Bills possessed an advantage on the Rams and 49ers, in holding their 2023 first-round pick. But Buffalo wanted to hold onto that choice, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports notes. McCaffrey’s future salaries ($11.8MM, $11.8MM, $12MM) were potentially problematic for a Bills team — one that extended Josh Allen in 2021, Stefon Diggs in 2022 and signed Von Miller in free agency — that features high costs atop its payroll.
Rumored as a suitor late last week, the Broncos called the Panthers about the Colorado native, Jay Glazer of Fox Sports notes. The team is not believed to have submitted an offer, however, per Jones. The Broncos could have put together a long-term McCaffrey-Javonte Williams partnership, though the latter — ACL tear notwithstanding — profiles as a potential star and is signed through 2024. Denver’s Russell Wilson contract also would have made bringing McCaffrey home more complicated.
While McCaffrey is not going home, he is returning to the region in which he starred in college. The former Heisman finalist at Stanford expressed interest for the past few days in returning to the Bay Area and playing for Kyle Shanahan, Tim Kawakami of The Athletic writes (subscription required). The 26-year-old back has known Kyle Shanahan most of his life, with the two being around the Mike Shanahan-era Broncos due to their fathers’ 1990s and 2000s Denver stays. Ed McCaffrey, a backup behind Jerry Rice and John Taylor during the 49ers’ 1994 Super Bowl-winning season, was with the Broncos from 1995-2003.
San Francisco still holds two third-round picks next year — due to Washington’s Martin Mayhew GM hire and Miami’s Mike McDaniel HC addition — but is now without first- or second-round choices. Shanahan confirmed McCaffrey would not be a rental, and Trey Lance‘s rookie deal will pair well with CMC’s salaries. But the team stands to enter next year’s draft with a Rams-like pick allotment.
“It’s great to have these draft picks and stuff,” Shanahan said during a KNBR appearance (via the San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch). “That’s how you build your team. That’s how we build our team here is through the draft. But when you know you have a guaranteed guy and you don’t have to worry about three picks, hoping one of them will [work out], you just go get that guy. That’s something that I feel you never look back on. It’s rare that you can get those opportunities.”
In terms of how the Panthers will proceed going forward, Steve Wilks said the team will use a committee approach to replace McCaffrey. Carolina had used McCaffrey as a workhorse whenever he was available, a blueprint that may have contributed to his injury trouble over the past two years. But D’Onta Foreman and Chuba Hubbard stand to pick up the slack. Running back will likely be a Panthers 2023 need.
Vikings Have Discussed Odell Beckham Jr.; Latest On Packers’ Interest
Odell Beckham Jr. might not be ready to return from his ACL tear until around Thanksgiving, but teams continue to monitor the rehabbing standout. As the Chiefs join the Rams as a potentially serious contender for the eight-year veteran wide receiver, the NFC North’s non-rebuilding sect has him on the radar.
The Vikings have held internal discussions about the prospect of signing Beckham, according to Outkick.com’s Armando Salguero. While the Packers have been linked to Beckham both this year and last, Salguero adds Aaron Rodgers would like to have OBJ in Green Bay.
Minnesota has surged to 5-1 and has a top-five wideout already rostered, in Justin Jefferson. The team employs Adam Thielen as well, but the Minnesota native is in his age-32 season. Beckham, 30 in November, would be a splashy addition for a team that is in the rare position of being two games up on the Packers — with a Week 1 win over Green Bay in its pocket — despite Rodgers being healthy.
The Vikings also have a potential selling point in Kevin O’Connell, who was the Rams’ offensive coordinator during Beckham’s successful late-season run. O’Connell’s first Vikes squad ranks just 19th in total offense through six games, despite its key principals having stayed healthy.
Green Bay is believed to be looking into wide receiver help, after having resisted calls to augment its post-Davante Adams situation at the position this offseason. The Packers have seen sporadic production from rookies Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson, but the latter — whom Green Bay traded up with Minnesota for during this year’s second round — has dealt with multiple injuries. The Packers have also seen the veteran wing of their receiving corps — Randall Cobb and Sammy Watkins — go down this season. Cobb is expected to miss extensive time due to an ankle injury, leaving Rodgers with scant experience beyond Allen Lazard.
Beckham was believed to have been down to the Rams and Packers during his unusual free agency sweepstakes last November. Armed with Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, the Packers still surged to the NFC’s No. 1 seed. But their offense went quiet in a divisional-round loss. The team traded Adams to the Raiders and let MVS sign with the Chiefs, despite showing interest in retaining him. Beckham would fill a bigger need in Green Bay this year, but other teams beyond the NFC North will be involved as well.
Buffalo has also held internal OBJ discussions, Salguero adds. The Bills have been mentioned as a suitor, particularly by Von Miller, but the AFC frontrunners — who just passed on adding Christian McCaffrey — but they are not believed to be at the head of the pack here.
Panthers Trade Christian McCaffrey To 49ers
Rumored to be on the trade block for the past several days, Christian McCaffrey is on the move. The 49ers will acquire the former All-Pro Panthers running back, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).
The 49ers are sending over a major haul for the sixth-year back. Carolina will acquire San Francisco’s second-, third- and fourth-round picks in 2023 and a fifth-round 2024 selection, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Bills and Rams were also rumored to be in on McCaffrey, and this compensation package certainly indicates interest was there. The trade is now official.
The Rams indeed made a push for CMC, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). Los Angeles has made a host of splashy in-season trades in recent years, moves that have helped produce Super Bowl berths, but the team stood down here. The 49ers now have McCaffrey signed through 2025. Despite this Thursday-night transaction, Rapoport notes McCaffrey is expected to play against the Chiefs on Sunday (Twitter link) in a presumably limited role.
The Panthers sought a first-round pick and change for McCaffrey this offseason and wanted a first-round equivalent now, as the two finalists (the 49ers and Rams) did not have 2023 first-rounders (video link). Carolina had opened the door to accepting a picks package headlined by Day 2 choices; that pivot led to a considerable boost in the franchise’s draft arsenal.
Although the Bills called to check on McCaffrey’s availability this offseason and were still interested as he hit the block, Rapoport adds they were not involved in these sweepstakes at the end (Twitter link). While the Bills will move forward with their Devin Singletary–James Cook backfield stable, the 49ers will add one of this era’s top dual-threat backs to theirs.
McCaffrey, 26, will join a 49ers running back cadre currently headed by Jeff Wilson. Starter Elijah Mitchell remains on IR with an MCL sprain but is expected to return around midseason. Like McCaffrey, Mitchell has battled injuries as a pro. Wilson (470 scrimmage yards, two touchdowns this season) has stayed healthy during Mitchell’s hiatus. While Wilson should still have a role, McCaffrey will obviously move into position as San Francisco’s top back for the stretch run.
Because the Panthers restructured McCaffrey’s contract this offseason, the 49ers only owe him $690K for the season’s remainder. However, CMC’s four-year, $64MM deal — still the running back benchmark 2 1/2 years after its finalization — includes base salaries of $11.8MM in 2023 and ’24 and $12MM in 2025. Considering the picks the 49ers are parting with, it does not seem like they view McCaffrey as a one-year rental. That said, only $1MM in injury guarantees remain on the deal, giving San Francisco some flexibility.
McCaffrey’s dominance at Stanford provided the onramp for him to become a rare modern-era top-10 running back draftee, and after a modest rookie year, he broke through with one of this period’s top running back seasons. Despite Cam Newton going down early in the 2019 season, McCaffrey made a run at Chris Johnson‘s single-season scrimmage yards record. He did not get there, but the 2,392-yard, 19-touchdown campaign — on top of a 1,965-yard 2018 season — led to the record-setting extension.
Of course, the 49ers are taking a gamble based on what McCaffrey’s 2020s have produced. A high ankle sprain early in the 2020 season began McCaffrey’s slide toward the “injury prone” label for which he has become known. In addition to injuries to both ankles over the past two years, McCaffrey has run into shoulder and hamstring maladies. In total, the former No. 8 overall pick missed 23 games from 2020-21.
The Panthers are cashing out here, with McCaffrey — chosen during Dave Gettleman‘s GM run — having played in all six games this season. CMC’s 670 scrimmage yards — 104 against the 49ers in Week 5 — rank fourth in the NFL through six games. Carolina also traded Robbie Anderson and is rumored to be willing to ship out eighth-year veteran linebacker Shaq Thompson ahead of the Nov. 1 deadline.
The 49ers are giving up far more than they did for Emmanuel Sanders at the 2019 deadline; the veteran wideout cost third- and fourth-round picks. But McCaffrey provides a much higher ceiling and had much of the Matt Rhule era to conserve his body. McCaffrey gives the 49ers a fourth All-Pro on offense, joining George Kittle, Deebo Samuel and Trent Williams.
The 49ers are sacrificing much of their 2023 draft, as they do not have a 2023 first-rounder (sent to the Dolphins for the Trey Lance draft slot). But the NFC West squad still has two third-rounders in 2023, due to Washington’s Martin Mayhew GM hire and Miami’s Mike McDaniel HC move. However, this is a bit of a zag for the team. The 49ers gave Jerick McKinnon a top-five (at the time) running back deal in 2018; he missed the next two seasons. After McKinnon and Tevin Coleman‘s contracts came off their books in 2021, the 49ers have rolled with low-cost backfields. It does not get more expensive than McCaffrey at this position.
The McCaffrey family has some familiarity with the 49ers and the Shanahans as well. Christian McCaffrey’s father, Ed, is better known for his Broncos days, but the former possession receiver was on the 1994 49ers’ Super Bowl-winning team. Ed McCaffrey played for Kyle Shanahan‘s father, Mike — George Seifert‘s offensive coordinator on that dominant squad — before following the elder Shanahan to Denver in 1995. Ed played nine years for Mike Shanahan in Denver. Kyle Shanahan and Christian McCaffrey each spent time around the Mike Shanahan-era Broncos, though the latter was obviously a child at the time.
With three 2023 picks plus the 2024 fifth-rounder, the Panthers are collecting a somewhat surprising package for a running back. Although David Johnson brought the Cardinals DeAndre Hopkins — in a widely panned 2020 deal that featured a second-round pick going to the Texans as well — no back had brought more than merely a third-round pick since the 2013 Trent Richardson Browns-Colts swap. This trade will boost a transitioning Panthers team come April.
Carolina, which was without some ammo in this year’s draft due to trades for Sam Darnold and C.J. Henderson, sent its 2023 third-rounder to New England in order to trade up for Matt Corral. The Panthers, however, do have their own first- and second-rounders next year. With the picks the 49ers are sending, the NFC South club will have six picks in the first four rounds next year. In the meantime, the Panthers have offseason pickup D’Onta Foreman and 2021 draftee Chuba Hubbard to pick up the pieces in their backfield.
Bills Remain Interested In Christian McCaffrey; Latest On Panthers RB
Christian McCaffrey trade buzz cropped up during the limited Deshaun Watson sweepstakes last October and again in March, but the All-Pro running back’s market went quiet in the months leading up to this season. That has not been the case this time, with the latest batch of trade rumors persisting for a longer period.
Although the Panthers are believed to be prepared to hold onto McCaffrey if the right offer does not emerge, the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora calls a trade before the Nov. 1 deadline a “near-certainty.” McCaffrey, 26, sits fourth in the NFL in scrimmage yards (670) and has displayed good health after two injury-plagued years, re-establishing his value to some degree.
A few teams are interested in McCaffrey, including the Bills. Buffalo checked in on McCaffrey’s availability this offseason, but Yahoo.com’s Charles Robinson notes no offer or even a substantive discussion ensued at that point. While the Bills have slow-played this, Robinson adds they would want a courtesy call from the Panthers if the prospect of a trade becomes real in the coming days. Devin Singletary is on an expiring contract, though the team drafted potential passing-down back James Cook in this year’s second round.
Other teams have followed suit, with Robinson adding this process at the check-in stage. As could be expected, the teams on the radar for McCaffrey are contenders who view a running back as a missing piece (Twitter links). The Rams have been mentioned as another suitor, and Robinson indicates the 49ers are indeed in this mix.
Initially reported as being on the CMC radar, the Broncos — McCaffrey’s hometown team, after his father (Ed) played for the franchise for nine seasons — have not been mentioned as a candidate in recent days. McCaffrey would seemingly make less sense for Denver, which has lost three straight and has Javonte Williams contracted through 2024. But the Rams are involved in a strange Cam Akers situation. The 49ers have veteran backup Jeff Wilson as their starter, with Elijah Mitchell on IR.
Mitchell’s concerning injury history may well be factoring into San Francisco’s McCaffrey interest. Both the Rams (Jalen Ramsey, Von Miller, Dante Fowler) and 49ers (Emmanuel Sanders) have made big in-season trades under their current regimes, while the Bills — home to ex-Carolina staffers Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane, the latter being with the team for the McCaffrey draft — have been known to covet a Panther or two.
Cost-wise, the Bills might be put off by McCaffrey’s post-2022 salaries. The resurgent franchise is not looking to add too much in future salary, considering the big-ticket payments atop its cap sheet, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com adds. McCaffrey’s still-market-topping $64MM deal calls for base salaries of $11.8MM (2023 and ’24) and $12MM (2025). These are nonguaranteed sums, and a team that trades for CMC now would owe barely $600K — thanks to an offseason restructure — this year. But a team that plans on having McCaffrey in 2023 and beyond would need to address those salaries.
David Tepper is believed to be pursuing the rumored unrealistic two-first-rounder price, Robinson tweets, but Fowler notes the team is aiming for a first-rounder and perhaps more. A recent report indicated the Panthers might be willing to accept a two-pick offer that includes at least one Day 2 selection, and The Athletic’s Joe Person notes the Panthers would likely consider a multi-pick proposal that features a Day 2 choice (subscription required).
The Panthers waiting until the offseason to try again with a trade — assuming they do not receive a worthwhile offer in the next two weeks — could commence, but the sixth-year back’s 2022 salary represents a key selling point. The team was open to unloading McCaffrey this offseason, Fowler adds, but the price point was massive (a first-round pick and a cost-controlled player). With Matt Rhule gone and the team trying to restock its draft cupboard, this could be the prime window to capitalize on McCaffrey’s renewed health.