5 teams that make sense if Carolina Panthers trade Christian McCaffrey
By Dean Jones
Which teams could potentially trade for Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey in the not-too-distant future?
With Adam Schefter and Ian Rappaport both publishing the news surrounding Christian McCaffrey potentially being traded at the same time on Saturday afternoon, it’s clear the Carolina Panthers wanted to let everyone know they are receptive to offers. Both insiders stated calls had been made regarding the running back, although nothing official is in the works one way or another with two weeks remaining until the NFL trade deadline.
Firing Matt Rhule was the beginning of a new era in Carolina. Planning for the future is priority No. 1 with the team sitting at 1-4 and McCaffrey is one of their most valuable pieces that could get a contending organization over the hump.
Much will depend on the compensation involved. The Panthers are looking for a high-end draft selection and perhaps another player, but it appears as if the franchise is willing to eat some substantial dead-cap money to provide their new head coach with additional draft capital in 2023.
With this in mind, we took a look at five teams that could end up trading for McCaffrey in the coming days.
Team No. 1
Christian McCaffrey could join LA Rams
Ironically, the Carolina Panthers’ opponents in Week 6 could be an ideal landing spot for Christian McCaffrey. The Los Angeles Rams are going through some difficulties over the opening five weeks of their Super Bowl title defense, with almost no consistent production on running downs putting too much on Matthew Stafford’s shoulders behind a porous offensive line.
The Rams are known for taking bold risks in the trade market for instant progression. But this would mean Carolina is forced to accept something other than a first-round selection for their best offensive weapon.