5 critical observations from the Carolina Panthers 2022 offseason so far

Carolina Panthers unlikely to trade Christian McCaffrey

After another season where injuries took their toll, the Carolina Panthers are facing a real conundrum where Christian McCaffrey is concerned. There appears little doubt he remains an elite dual-threat talent when healthy, but that doesn’t count for anything unless the All-Pro cannot stay on the field for a prolonged period of time.

Speculation regarding a potential trade for McCaffrey this offseason continues. General manager Scott Fitterer stated he would take calls for the player – or anybody for that matter – but the Panthers clearly still see the former first-round pick as a key cog in the team’s plans.

"“There was a report back in November that we were actively trying to trade him, and I told him that was not true. What I did tell him was, ‘Hey, listen, I’ll take any call. Call and make any offer you want.’ That doesn’t mean we’ll do it. That doesn’t mean we’re shopping you.’ I look at Christian as a foundation piece on this team. We’re a better team when he’s on the field. He’s one of the elite players in the NFL.”"

Trading McCaffrey just doesn’t seem feasible, from a financial standpoint if nothing else. Carolina would be on the hook for an $18.58 million dead-cap figure if they did this before June 1, which isn’t exactly the way to improve the roster considering they have just $24 million in cap space currently.

If the Panthers did this after the June 1 deadline, the cap saving becomes $4.88 million with a $12.82 million dead number, according to Over the Cap. Obviously, there are ways to work around this, but perhaps finding a better way to utilize McCaffrey and keep him fit is the better option ahead of a crucial Year 3 for Matt Rhule.