Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey might be traded this offseason; should the Denver Broncos think about acquiring his services?
Rumors have been recently swirling that Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey could be traded this offseason, and the Denver Broncos might make sense as a landing spot.
CMC has only played in 10 games the past two seasons, and the injuries are starting to pile up for the 5th year player.
There is an obvious connection between Denver and McCaffrey. He’s from Colorado, his father Ed played for the Broncos, and there were rumors that the Denver Broncos wanted to draft him in 2017.
Since being drafted, McCaffrey has enjoyed a few seasons of elite-level play. He’s currently on a $64 million contract and has made a Pro Bowl and an All-Pro.
CMC is a complete running back. He’s an excellent receiver, an excellent runner, and has great speed. Unfortunately, his injuries have greatly hurt his overall value and perception across the NFL.
The shelf life for running backs in the NFL is obviously very low, but McCaffrey will be just 26 this summer, which is generally right in the prime years for a running back, and NFL player overall.
If the rumors are accurate, and the Panthers would entertain trade offers, should the Denver Broncos make the move?
I definitely think there is a valid argument for trading for the player, although I think the Broncos will stay away.
Firstly, trading for CMC would give the Broncos the best running back duo in the NFL, and the offense would become that much more attractive for a potential veteran quarterback. There are a few layers to this.
If the team drafts a rookie, one of the best things a team can do for said rookie is to give him the best possible situation on offense. The Broncos obviously have talented pass catchers and a decent offensive line. Adding McCaffrey to that mix makes it that much more favorable for a potential rookie, and gives that rookie the best chance to develop into a franchise quarterback.
Secondly, this would give opposing teams yet another talented player on offense to plan for. Defenses already have to deal with Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, Tim Patrick, Noah Fant, Javonte Williams, and the return of KJ Hamler.
But adding CMC to this just makes it that much tougher for defenses to limit the potential Broncos’ offense.
Adding McCaffrey to the mix also makes it extremely attractive for a veteran QB to want to come to play for Denver. Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers obviously come to mind, and I would find it very hard to believe that either player wouldn’t want to play with a Broncos’ offensive core that features Christian McCaffrey.
Secondly, the Broncos don’t necessarily have to rely on CMC to be the focal point of the offense or even the running game. The Broncos are talented enough on offense to use him in a multitude of ways to potentially play with opposing defenses.
This also holds true if he gets injured, which is a real concern now. If he does keep getting injured and is forced to miss games, the Broncos’ offense should still be fine, given the loads of talent at receiver, tight end, and running back.
Another reason why a trade might make sense is that the Denver Broncos have the cap space to afford him.
His cap hit next season is just north of $14 million with a base salary of $8.4 million, and while that sounds large, the Broncos can afford him, which not many other teams can say.
Even better, could CMC be willing to restructure his current contract given his recent injury history? I suppose this is possible too.
5 Denver Broncos players who could follow Vic Fangio if he’s let go
The Denver Broncos have a number of key free agents on the defensive side of the ball. If Vic Fangio is let go, who could follow him to his next spot?
As I stated before, I do not think the Broncos will make this trade, but the benefit he can bring to the offense is obvious.