Christian McCaffrey Trade: How it Helps Patriots
During a testy training camp last August the New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers engaged in multiple fights. But in the NFL Draft next April, one team will likely be the other's best friend.
While the Pats are surging - winners of two in a row heading into Monday night's game against the Chicago Bears - the Panthers are ... tanking?
Carolina has the league's worst record (1-5) and second-worst point differential (-43) heading into Week 7 and its recent transactions indicate the season is kaput. Head coach Matt Rhule was fired, after winning only 11 games on a seven-year contract. After last week's loss to the Los Angeles Rams the Panthers traded disgruntled receiver Robbie Anderson to the Arizona Cardinals.
And on Thursday night they clearly signaled their in-season rebuilding mode, trading star running back Christian McCaffery to the San Francisco 49ers for four draft picks. Without their main offensive weapon, without a head coach and with a quarterback outlook of Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold or P.J. Walker, the present is bleak at best.
Bottom line for New England: The worse the Panthers are in 2022, the better the draft for the Patriots in 2023.
As the benefit of two trades, the Pats own two of of the Panthers' upcoming picks: A third-rounder from a 2022 draft-day deal, and a sixth-rounder from the Stephon Gilmore trade a year ago. If, as expected, Carolina continues to slide, the third-round pick might wind up being 65th overall next April.
It didn't seem like much at the time - and Bill Belichick was initially harpooned for his 2022 draft - but the Patriots made a shrewd move that is already paying big dividends. Initially owning the 21st overall pick last April, New England traded down with the Kansas City Chiefs and then the Panthers in the first round. In the end, Belichick moved down eight spots and turned one pick into three players and a future pick: Starting left guard Cole Strange, starting cornerback Jack Jones, a quarterback named Bailey Zappe and likely a Top 70 pick in next year's draft.
Not having McCaffery hurts the Panthers. In the long run, it helps the Patriots.
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