Panthers GM Addresses Christian McCaffrey Trade Rumors
Now that the 2021 season if officially behind us, Panther fans have something to look forward to - the offseason. Changes are going to need to be made in order for this team to make a leap in year three under head coach Matt Rhule.
Over the past year or so, one name that has continuously popped up in trade rumors is running back Christian McCaffrey. The shelf life for a running back in the NFL isn't very long and once the wear and tear starts to sit in, there's no turning back. Up until the 2020 season, McCaffrey had not missed a single game in his NFL career. He has always taken great pride in his training and taking care of his body but unfortunately, he hasn't been able to stay on the field recently appearing in just ten games over the past two seasons.
When healthy, there's no question about it. Christian McCaffrey is one of the very best players in the game and arguably the best at his position because of his versatility. After all, this is a guy that went for 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in the last full season he played (2019).
Some believe McCaffrey's trade value has diminished with the number of injuries he's suffered over the past two seasons. That said, there are several teams that would be willing to take the risk and shipping off some draft assets to Carolina for him. There is also the possibility that he could be packaged in a deal to acquire a veteran quarterback such as Deshaun Watson. But all of that is just speculation. Monday afternoon, Panthers GM Scott Fitterer was very forthright in his response to whether or not there is any interest in moving the star running back.
"That was a good talk that I had with Christian this morning. We sat there 30-45 minutes and we addressed all of those things. I told him what was the truth and what was not the truth. I think there was a report back in November that we were actively trying to trade him and that was not true. What I did tell him though is as a GM, I'll take any call. You can call and make any offer you want. That doesn't mean we're going to do it. That doesn't mean we're shopping you. I'll listen. I look at Christian as a foundation piece on this team, one of those building blocks. We're a better team when he's on the field. He's one of the elite players in the NFL. I would love for him to be here but I would never not take a call. If somebody calls and offers something crazy, yeah, you would look at it but there is no intentions right now of trading Christian McCaffrey."
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