Not only did the Rams miss out on Christian McCaffrey, but their biggest rival acquired him in a trade with the Panthers. The 49ers bolstered their backfield by trading for McCaffrey, keeping him away from Los Angeles – a win-win for Kyle Shanahan’s team.
During his first media session since the McCaffrey trade, Sean McVay shared how he reacted to the deal made by San Francisco, knowing the Rams were also in the sweepstakes.
You thought, ‘Oh (expletive) they get another great player.’ But, I think he’s a phenomenal player,” McVay said. “Obviously, we saw him recently. I’ve always had respect for his game and the versatility. So, I think that’s your first inclination. Then you know what a great job Kyle and his staff do of maximizing and utilizing versatile offensive weapons. So that was my first reaction. Then as a competitor you say, ‘Hey they’ve got him, we’ve got to be able to move forward accordingly.’”
When the Rams host the 49ers on Sunday, it’ll be their second consecutive game facing McCaffrey. They beat the Panthers in Week 6 before their bye, so it hasn’t been long since they had to game plan against the versatile running back.
McVay says the Rams’ week of prep got off to a good start on Monday and the team feels fresh coming out of the bye.
“Just so happens that they’re on the schedule this week and looking forward to a great week of preparation that I think was started off the right way. Our guys feel fresh,” he said.
The Rams made a strong push to acquire McCaffrey, with their final offer reportedly being four draft picks and Cam Akers. The Panthers ultimately took the 49ers’ package of four draft picks instead, sending him to the Rams’ rival.
