The value of the running back has never been lower in the NFL. But luckily for the Carolina Panthers, Christian McCaffrey is a little more than just a running back.
Late Thursday night, McCaffrey was shipped off to the San Francisco 49ers for a handful—and we mean a handful—of future draft capital. With the Niners going all-in on a rush towards the Lombardi Trophy, they were seemingly quite willing to part with an enticing package for a unique, do-it-all, multi-faceted offensive weapon.
So, here’s exactly what they gave the Panthers for him:
- 2023 second-round pick
- 2023 third-round pick
- 2023 fourth-round pick
- 2024 fifth-round pick
According to Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic, a first-round pick was not on the table from either the 49ers or the Los Angeles Rams—the two teams with the most interest in McCaffrey. But what Carolina ended up getting, especially for the onerous contract of an oft-injured rusher, ain’t too shabby.
Speaking of that contract, the Panthers are also getting a nice helping hand from the Niners on that as well. Although Carolina has already paid out most of McCaffrey’s 2022 take—leading to a $690,000 cap hit in 2022 for San Francisco—they won’t have to deal with the yearly cash of $12 million in 2023, $12 million in 2024 and $12.2 million in 2025.
The dead cap, however, does remain for McCaffrey’s pact—$25.9 million of it, in fact. He’ll account for approximately $18.3 million in 2023, adding to the $9.7 million space the departed wide receiver Robbie Anderson will take up.
As for what the franchise have for the future, the haul now recoups some previously lost assets—giving them a more complete slate to work with moving forward. Here’s an updated list of the team’s draft selections for the upcoming 2023 draft:
- First-rounder (own)
- Second-rounder (own)
- Second-rounder (from 49ers)
- Third-rounder (from 49ers)
- Fourth-rounder (own)
- Fourth-rounder (from 49ers)
- Fifth-rounder (own)
Oh, and considering they just took away the only player that was moving their already broken offense—the Panthers just made one heck of an investment towards that No. 1 overall pick in the spring.
