PFF Insider Suggests Panthers Should Actually Consider Trading Christian McCaffrey
By Jerry Trotta
Plenty of eyes will be on the Carolina Panthers, a team at a crossroads that will be forced to deliberate whether or not it should rebuild this offseason.
Despite reports indicating that the Panthers will move forward with Cam Newton as their starting quarterback, the franchise's front office still has a plethora of gaping holes on the roster, and it's really unsure whether the team will be capable of competing in 2020.
That apprehension has led one particular Pro Football Focus insider to believe that Carolina, if they choose to rebuild, should consider trading star running back Christian McCaffrey.
Popular opinion: If the Panthers want arebuild, they should look for teams who want to trade for Christian McCaffrey.
— Moo (@PFF_Moo) March 3, 2020
His trade value will never be higher than this year.
Before Panthers aficionados form an angry mob outside of Bank of America Stadium, they should stop to consider the positives and negatives of this idea.
Think about how spectacular McCaffrey was in 2019. The former No. 8 overall pick racked up nearly 2,500 yards from scrimmage and scored 19 touchdowns (15 rushing, four receiving). Virtually no defense proved capable of slowing him down, as he went on to become just the third player in NFL history to compile over 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in a single season.
The kicker? McCaffrey's monster season didn't translate to winning. The Panthers finished with a 5-11 record. And don't hit us with the rebuttal that Carolina didn't have a reliable starter at quarterback. Cam Newton was healthy in 2018 (he played 14 games), and the team still finished 7-9.
?Multiple sources shed light on upcoming Christian McCaffrey negotiations
— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) March 2, 2020
?League insiders don’t buy what Carolina is selling re. Cam
?No Dontari Poe option, per source
?MORE@josephperson and I went behind the scenes on Carolina at the combine: https://t.co/Pq9C5YtA6w
Are we saying that the Panthers shouldn't think twice about cutting ties with McCaffrey? Far from it, actually.
However, the Stanford product was uniformly run into the ground last season, logging a mind-boggling 403 touches. With him likely demanding long-term security before long, the Panthers would be wise to consider all variables before rewarding him with an upscale contract extension.
First, and most importantly, Carolina must get its ducks in a row and decide whether or not they intend to compete in 2020. That would make this ultimatum much simpler.