As the San Francisco 49ers’ have finally acquired All-Pro RB Christian McCaffrey from the Carolina Panthers, the 49ers’ head coach Kyle Shanahan claimed that the acquisition was a standout moment and considered it as a “bonus.”
The 42-year-old coach made the statement in light of the fact that both the 49ers and their archrival, the Los Angeles Rams, were also looking to acquire McCaffrey in the most recent trade. The moment became more prominent after the 49ers were defeated 20-17 by the Rams in the previous NFC Championship game.
The #Panthers were deep in talks with the #Rams and #49ers for multiple second day picks. https://t.co/2ySTSEserH
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 21, 2022
“I mean, it’s definitely a bonus,” Shanahan said of McCaffrey’s trade, quoted by NFL reporter Dov Kleiman.
Kyle Shanahan called it a "bonus" that the #49ers beat the #Rams in the Christian McCaffery trade sweepstake. pic.twitter.com/PYRWpTWHEV
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) October 21, 2022
Unprecedented move
Shanahan went on to say that any team would value having a player like McCaffrey on their roster and that keeping a good player away from his fierce rivals is always a wise move.
According to CBS Sports’ Bryan DeArdo, the 49ers now have one of the best running backs in the NFL, despite having to give up several future draft picks in the deal.
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 pic.twitter.com/0rBS8Ajhgy
— Christian McCaffrey (@CMC_22) October 21, 2022
DeArdo also said that McCaffrey, a native of Colorado, has been performing well this season. In his six games, he accumulated 670 all-purpose yards. He joined the 49ers as they just suffered a 28-14 loss to the Atlanta Falcons in last Sunday’s game.
Shanahan mentioned that his team’s ability to bring in a player of McCaffrey’s caliber was unusual 10-15 years ago. He also said that other teams like the Rams, however, have been capable of acquiring some of the NFL’s most talented players in recent years such as cornerback Jalen Ramsey and receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
The Rams were in talks with Panthers on this possibility as well and had been for a couple days, sources said. Terms will be interesting to learn because Rams didn’t want to get into bidding war. https://t.co/liDXCSC47K
— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) October 21, 2022
“I’ve watched other teams who have done it, too. It’s nice to watch people do it and see what’s good and what’s bad from it,” Shanahan added.
As per DeArdo’s analysis, while the Rams’ big names helped them earn last year’s Super Bowl, the 49ers are on the right track now that McCaffrey might help them win San Francisco’s sixth Lombardi Trophy.
Where McCaffrey ranks among 49ers’ recent trades
Can Inman of the East Bay Times argued that San Francisco’s acquisition of McCaffrey could be the team’s most advantageous trade since Fred Dean—but it could also backfire. Following the trade, Inman listed a number of the 49ers’ best deals since 2017.
New team, new number. @CMC_22#FTTB pic.twitter.com/B2gKmh5514
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) October 21, 2022
According to him, the most notable best deal was the acquisition of Jimmy Garoppolo from the New England Patriots in 2017. The quarterback is currently preparing for his third NFC Championship Game in four seasons for San Francisco.
The trade of McCaffrey, an All-Pro caliber player who could awaken San Francisco’s offense, is ranked second-best by Inman. He also claimed that McCaffrey’s presence could fulfill Shanahan’s game ambitions.
Trent Williams is the next player on Inman’s list, and he considers him to be the best offensive lineman in the NFL. Williams was also named All-Pro last year.
Emmanuel Sanders is the fourth-best San Francisco trade on the list, and the fifth player is a tie between Laken Tomlinson. According to Inman, Tomlinson is presumably one of San Francisco’s most underrated moves. Dee Ford also played a critical role in their run to the Super Bowl in 2019, although the 49ers have released him this summer.