What If Rams Traded for Christian McCaffrey Over 49ers?
Even as the Los Angeles Rams struggled throughout the 2022 season, they were still in the hunt for big-name players - like usual.
The Rams didn't land any of those players, but they were connected to several high-profile trade targets at the deadline. The most notable of said targets was then-Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey, but he instead went to the San Francisco 49ers. To bring in the star back, San Francisco sent Carolina second, third, and fourth-round picks in 2023, plus a 2024 fifth-rounder.
However, it's hard not to wonder what may have happened if McCaffrey had gone to L.A. instead. ESPN's Bill Barnwell took a look at such a scenario, and the results from just a single change are fascinating.
In this alternate-universe scenario, the Rams send the Panthers a similar package to what the 49ers did, but includes running back Cam Akers in place of one of the picks. Unfortunately, the addition of McCaffrey doesn't do much to change the Rams fortunes. They slightly approve with the star back in tow, but still finish well outside the playoff picture and ultimately damage their long-term future more.
"McCaffrey might have played well, but I don't think he pushes the Rams beyond 6-11 or 7-10 at best," Barnwell wrote. "In the big picture, that's a disaster for Los Angeles. They give up more than a first-round pick's worth of draft capital to land McCaffrey, who eats up significant cap space and doesn't make a meaningful difference for them in 2022."
Meanwhile, San Francisco pivots after losing out on McCaffrey and instead trade for then-Chicago Bears running back David Montgomery. The 49ers still go on an impressive run in the second half of the season, but dropping an extra game or two causes them to fall to the No. 3 seed in the NFC. Ultimately, though, the 49ers' outcome is relatively the same in this alternate scenario.
The same cannot be said for Carolina, whose fortunes change drastically in this new timeline. In the real scenario, the Panthers finished 7-10 and one game behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the brutal NFC South. In this timeline, though, the Panthers win the division in part due to Akers' impressive late-season run.
"Getting cornerback Jaycee Horn on the field for that Week 17 tilt against the Bucs might have done more to help their chances, and Akers' rushing success did come in part because of the Rams offense around him, but I don't think it's impossible to imagine the Panthers winning the NFC South if they get excellent work on the ground from Akers over the final four weeks of the season," Barnwell writes.
Even if the Panthers lose badly to the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card Round, like the Buccaneers did in the real world, them making the playoffs has massive implications for the rest of the league. By guiding Carolina to the playoffs, interim coach Steve Wilks keeps the Panthers job, while current Carolina coach Frank Reich instead signs with the Arizona Cardinals. On top of that, the Panthers' newly-acquired draft picks are higher up thanks to the Rams finishing with a much worse record than the 49ers.
The implications don't stop there, though. In this scenario, the Panthers are too far down to trade up to No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft. Instead, the Las Vegas Raiders do so, sending tight end Darren Waller and four picks to the Bears for the top pick. In turn, the Panthers sign quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in free agency.
Even Barnwell admits that this scenario is on the wild side, but it goes to show how much impact one change can have. In hindsight, though, the Rams are probably fortunate that this didn't happen. An extra win or two in a lost season is ultimately not worth further hampering the future.
You can follow Jonathan Alfano on Twitter @JonAlfano_News
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