ESPN mock draft sees Panthers’ back McCaffrey traded to the Redskins

Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey was the subject of an eye-catching trade with the Washington Redskins in a recent ESPN mock draft.

ESPN writer Bill Barnwell has caused a stir with Carolina Panthers’ fans by trading star running back Christian McCaffrey in his latest mock.

In his latest all-trade mock published on Monday, Barnwell moved the Panthers up to the No.2 selection and sent All-Pro McCaffrey to the Washington Redskins in addition to the seventh overall pick and a fifth-rounder.

This would allow the organization to take either stud defensive end Chase Young or a franchise quarterback of the future such as Alabama standout Tua Tagovailoa.

McCaffrey is heading into the final year of his rookie deal and is reportedly seeking a longer-term commitment from the franchise. Although his NFL career so far dictates a large pay increase given his production, teams have been reluctant to pay running backs top dollar in recent years.

Barnwell writes:

"The Panthers are faced with an impossible bind when it comes to McCaffrey. The star running back was incredible last season and has a strong case as the NFL’s best back, but that guy was Todd Gurley two years ago.You know what has happened since. It would be unfair to use Gurley as the sole data point in analyzing McCaffrey’s future, but the vast majority of big contracts for running backs have turned out to be disasters. Carolina went through two such deals during general manager Marty Hurney’s first run with the team, when both Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams struggled after signing lucrative deals to stay with the team."

Comparing McCaffrey and Burley seems a moot point given their contrasting running styles. The Panthers’ playmaker is a far more elusive individual that the downhill Gurley and has been far less susceptible to injury throughout his career so far.

This outlandish trade to move into the No.2 slot is hardly in keeping with the thoughts of a Panthers rebuild. Giving up their premiere player and a valuable mid-round selection when they only have eight picks heading into the draft just doesn’t seem like a logical move at this point.

They recently paid good money to get Teddy Bridgewater from the New Orleans Saints, so any move to draft a signal-caller would be disastrous for the player’s morale.