Christian McCaffrey To San Fran: CMC U Later
One of the NFL’s top running backs, Christian McCaffrey, has been dealt to San Francisco. Read this article to see how this will impact this weekend’s slate.
CMC U Later
Started From the Bottom
The NFL was set ablaze this week as ESPN’s Adam Schefter broke the news that two-time first team All Pro running back Christian McCaffrey was traded to the San Francisco 49ers in a blockbuster deal. The 49ers dealt a plethora of future draft picks in exchange for the 6-season Carolina Panthers veteran – second, third, and fourth round picks in the 2023 draft and a fifth round pick in the 2024 draft.
Christian McCaffrey was drafted 8th overall in the 2017 draft and has spent the entirety of his career thus far in Carolina, accumulating nearly 4,000 rushing yards and almost 40 touchdowns in his time in the league. Despite his best efforts, however, the Panthers have faced their share of struggles in the past 5 years, going 34 and 53 since McCaffrey was drafted, and only making the postseason in 2017.
This news came as a shock to fans, as many expected McCaffrey to be a Panthers lifer – he has lead the team in rushing in 2 of his 5 seasons in the league, with both his 2020 and 2021 seasons being ended due to injury.
Carolina On My Mind No More
The morning after the news broke, McCaffrey shared a heartfelt post on Twitter to his Carolina fanbase, where he stated “I’m forever grateful for all of the people who have helped make these past 5 1/2 years so special for me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Carolina, I will always love you
#KeepPounding”
McCaffrey joins a 49ers team that may appear dominant on paper, but has started the season at 3 and 3, tying the Rams and Seahawks for first place in the NFC West. While the 49ers currently rank 12th in rushing yards per game as a team, averaging 124 yards, this trade may be the bump they need to make them a formidable contender for the Super Bowl this season.
On the flip side, this is a rough loss for an already struggling Panthers team – they’ve started the 2022 season 1-5, and even with a powerhouse like CMC, they rank in the bottom 10 rushing yards per game as a team.
Line Movement
While this news hasn’t significantly moved the lines in either team’s respective games, sharp bettors may take into account the increase in offensive production the San Francisco offense may see this season. The 49ers opened as 3 point underdogs in their upcoming bout with Kansas City, but the line has moved slowly but surely to Kansas City -2.5.
Carolina opened as 10.5 point underdogs against the Tampa Bay Bucs, and the line has inched a bit further to Tampa Bay -11. Look for these lines to continue to inch further – with the news breaking Thursday night, Vegas insiders will likely be taking a close look at these mid-week moves and we could see good value lines in either game.
