Ought to Carolina Panthers commerce or maintain Christian McCaffrey? – Carolina Panthers Weblog

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The losses are taking their toll on Carolina Panthers operating again Christian McCaffrey.

You can see it on his face after Sunday’s 24-10 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, Carolina’s fifth defeat in six video games this season and twelfth of their previous 13 going again to final season. The Panthers haven’t had a profitable season since McCaffrey’s rookie marketing campaign in 2017, after they had been 11-5. They’ve gone 23-53 since.

You can hear it in his voice when he was requested why it’s been so laborious the previous two years for the group to show round.

“Each loss sucks,” McCaffrey mentioned.

On prime of the losses, and on prime of seeing coach Matt Rhule fired per week in the past and changed by Steve Wilks, McCaffrey now could be the subject of presumably being traded to a different group earlier than the Nov. 1 NFL commerce deadline.

Whereas a supply near the state of affairs mentioned that’s unlikely to occur with out a group giving up one thing substantial — probably a first-round draft decide — McCaffrey is essentially the most precious commerce prospect the Panthers have. He confirmed that once more Sunday at SoFi Stadium, accounting for 74.5 % of Carolina’s yards from scrimmage, the best share by a participant in a sport this season and the second highest in a sport over the previous 20 seasons.

McCaffrey rushed 13 occasions for 69 yards and caught a team-high seven passes for 89 yards, the twenty fourth time he’s had at the very least 50 speeding and 50 receiving yards in the identical sport. Solely Marshall Faulk in NFL historical past has extra with 41.

The defending Tremendous Bowl champion Rams might use a again like McCaffrey, however they don’t have a first-round decide in 2023. Neither do the San Francisco 49ers, one other group in want of a star participant to raise an anemic offense to make a Tremendous Bowl run.

That each are in California, the place McCaffrey made a reputation for himself as a Heisman Trophy candidate at Stanford College, and have groups able to making a title run might make him a very good match.

The Denver Broncos additionally could possibly be a very good touchdown spot for McCaffrey, who grew up within the Denver space. However they don’t have a first- or second-round decide.

The Buffalo Payments, a real Tremendous Bowl contender, do have a first-rounder in 2023.

“All that stuff’s out of my management,’’ McCaffrey mentioned. “My job proper now could be to be one of the best Carolina Panther I might be and do every thing I can for my teammates.’’

Buying and selling McCaffrey arguably is sensible in some methods with the Panthers at 1-5 and certain looking forward to subsequent season. Extra draft picks would enable normal supervisor Scott Fitterer to proceed constructing the roster so it’s able to win when the group finds a franchise quarterback or presumably transfer up within the first spherical to draft a possible franchise QB.

McCaffrey’s contract runs by means of 2025. Buying and selling him this yr wouldn’t be an issue for groups due to his $1,035,000 wage below a restructured deal. The problem is 2023, when McCaffrey has an $11.8 non-guaranteed wage and a $19,550,750 cap hit.

Buying and selling McCaffrey, nonetheless, arguably doesn’t make sense from the standing that he’s nonetheless younger (26) and the subsequent head coach and quarterback might use the do-it-all again to construct round.

McCaffrey has 5 straight video games with 100 yards from scrimmage, the longest energetic streak within the NFL, in line with ESPN Stats & Data analysis.

“On the finish of the day, we’ve obtained to make extra performs and execute,’’ McCaffrey mentioned.

Coming into the season, the largest difficulty with McCaffrey was staying wholesome. He’d missed 23 of 33 video games from 2020 to 2021.

Now the difficulty is whether or not the Panthers would profit extra from a wholesome McCaffrey or buying and selling him.

With beginning quarterback Baker Mayfield again in a strolling boot on Sunday and his instant availability uncertain, 2021 beginning quarterback Sam Darnold set to return off injured reserve with an ankle damage however probably a couple of weeks away from being able to play, and Sunday’s beginning quarterback PJ Walker nursing a neck damage that saved him from ending the sport, McCaffrey actually is the one legit offensive risk Carolina has.

That was magnified Sunday when Wilks threw large receiver Robbie Anderson out of the sport late within the third quarter and large receiver DJ Moore was restricted to 3 catches for 7 yards.

McCaffrey didn’t need to discuss Anderson nor what it’s like having the offense all on him.

“I simply need to win,’’ he mentioned.