A Christian McCaffrey trade never would've made sense for the Patriots.
However, knowing what the 49ers parted with for the star running back, New England would've been downright insane to swing a similar trade with the Carolina Panthers.
San Francisco on Thursday night sent second-, third- and fourth-round picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, and a fifth-rounder in 2024, to Carolina in exchange for McCaffrey. The move helped the Panthers replenish a once-depleted draft pool while adding another explosive offensive weapon to the 49ers, who clearly are in win-right-this-very-second-or-else mode.
McCaffrey's versatile skill set would've made him a perfect fit for the Patriots offense, especially with James White now retired and Damien Harris set to hit free agency in a few months. We're talking about a running back who caught 116 balls while rushing for 1,387 yards in 2019 and already has 33 receptions this season. Plus the oft-injured back is due just $690,000 for the remainder of this season and is guaranteed only $1 million over the final three years of his contract. So, the Patriots wouldn't have sacrificed financial flexibility despite trading for a young, injury-prone superstar.
Nevertheless, Bill Belichick was wise for passing on McCaffrey.
First of all, the Patriots don't need to upgrade at running. New England currently has one of the best backfields in the NFL, with Harris a powerful lead back and sophomore Rhamondre Stevenson on the cusp of stardom. If you were a general manager starting an NFL franchise, you could argue for taking Stevenson over McCaffrey. And the Patriots have additional youth on their running back depth chart in the form of rookies Pierre Strong and Kevin Harris, though the latter's spot on the roster hardly seems secure.
But it's the asking price that's the biggest issue.
The 49ers sacrificed four valuable picks for a running back who missed 22 games over the last two seasons due to various leg injuries and a shoulder issue. And if you think that being 26 years old should help McCaffrey offset his mounting injury problems, consider that three-time Pro Bowler Todd Gurley still is only 28 years old and hasn't played in the NFL since 2020. McCaffrey hasn't missed a game this season, but he's an injury waiting to happen and could fall off the proverbial cliff at any moment.
Moreover, it's bad NFL business to heavily invest in the running back position. The evidence is irrefutable.
Consider this: Had the Patriots paid the same price for McCaffrey, they would've allocated seven draft picks -- one each on Stevenson, Strong and Harris; four on McCaffrey -- toward running backs over a four-year period. That would be football malpractice given all the other needs on New England's roster.
Yes, a McCaffrey trade would've been a ton of fun for Patriots fans, and New England's offense could've reached a higher gear with the one-time All-Pro in the fold. But the Patriots ultimately made the right move in staying out of the McCaffrey trade sweepstakes.
