Is Trading McCaffrey Going Too Far?
Life in the NFL has become unpredictable and at times, eye-popping. Teams dish out money to players that are not at the top of their position, questionable trades, surprising coaching hires, shocking retirements and rebuilds and much more. So, in today's NFL, nothing is completely out of the question.
Potentially the most talked about topic this off-season centered around Cam Newton and his future with the Carolina Panthers. For the time being, those rumors seem to have been laid to rest after head coach Matt Rhule stated at the NFL Combine that he was excited to coach Newton and wants to get him healthy. I'm not so sure that I buy the Panthers pitch and deep down, I believe that trading Newton is still an option for the Panthers.
Just to be clear, I am not advocating for a trade to be made. In fact, I think it would set Carolina back by doing so, but anything is on the table. With that being said, if the Panthers ultimately decide to trade Newton, do they go in full rebuild mode and trade Christian McCaffrey?
Well, let's look at the pros and the cons of putting McCaffrey on the market:
Pros:
You'll likely get a kings ransom of future assets, but that's about it. I don't see how trading McCaffrey does any good beyond getting future draft picks that may or may not work out. You are dealing with unproven players and Carolina would have to be severely overwhelmed to even consider making a move.
Cons:
This means the Panthers would be potentially trading their best player and would give the inclination that competing now is not in the team's interest. McCaffrey is such a unique player and has value like no other player in the entire league. He is just as much of a threat in the passing game as he is in the run game and can excel at both consistently. By trading him, the Panthers would not just lose the best player on their roster, but one of the best players in the league. Having a guy like McCaffrey in the rebuild would make for a much smoother process. With him being at the age of 23, he would make for a good leader to help the younger guys through the process as they will be able to relate to him on a more personal level. Giving that up is extremely costly.
Earlier this week on WFNZ radio in Charlotte, this was a topic that was discussed. Go give it a listen below!
What do you think? Would the Panthers be making a mistake if they traded Christian McCaffrey in a "full rebuild" situation? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!
You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the top righthand corner of the page. Also be sure to like us on Facebook & Twitter:
Facebook - @PanthersOnSI
Twitter - @SI_Panthers and Schuyler Callihan at @Callihan_
