San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and normal supervisor John Lynch checked out their workforce’s roster — one which has been obliterated by an harm bug this group can’t shake for a half-decade-plus now — and knew what they wanted to do to push it again into rivalry standing within the NFC.
It was so apparent.
So on Thursday evening, the Niners — a workforce that’s arguably essentially the most gifted within the league, however unquestionably one of the vital injured — traded for Carolina working again Christian McCaffery — arguably essentially the most gifted offensive participant within the league, however unquestionably one of the vital injured.
It’s a match made in heaven — or the infirmary.
And total, this transfer reeks.
It reeks of desperation. Regardless of all of the Niners’ accidents and having Jimmy Garoppolo at quarterback, Shanahan goes all-in on 2022 by including a participant nobody of their proper thoughts would belief to play a full season.
However this commerce additionally has the distinct scent of enjoyable. Bear in mind enjoyable?
The 49ers simply added — for one sport, 11 weeks, or a number of seasons — one of many NFL’s premier gamers on Thursday.
Nobody has any concept how it will work. It’s the type of transfer that could possibly be ridiculed for years — an emotional commerce that goes towards the worth charts and all the things this quantitative period calls for.
It’s additionally a transfer that might jump-start a stalling 49ers’ season and propel this workforce deep into the playoffs.
If this workforce can get wholesome, CMC would possibly make the Niners favorites within the NFC this season.
As a result of make no mistake about it: McCaffery can do all of it. He’s a top-tier runner. He’s a top-tier receiver. He’s been marooned with a horrible Carolina workforce for years, however now he’ll be in Shanahan’s run-first offense, behind a line constructed to run block, with elite offensive weapons throughout him.
That is must-see TV. The Niners may have a decent finish who generally is a top-tier receiver or proper deal with, a large receiver who performed working again final season, and now a working again who generally is a No. 1 receiver.
If solely they nonetheless had that quarterback Shanahan preferred to make use of as a fullback.
However buying and selling for McCaffery can also be the type of deal made by a head coach and administration feeling some warmth.
Shanahan did one thing like this earlier than; you’ll keep in mind:
In October 2017, the 49ers had been 0-8, and Shanahan — who calls the pictures in Santa Clara — wanted to do one thing to endear himself to the Niners’ fan base (and maybe possession, who had fired three coaches in three seasons earlier than Shanahan). So the brand new head coach made a shock commerce for Garoppolo — the workforce’s to-be franchise quarterback — on Halloween.
The Niners have come a great distance since that commerce. Someway, Garoppolo continues to be the quarterback.
And this 12 months was presupposed to be a giant one for San Francisco. However after six video games, the banged-up Niners didn’t appear like the Tremendous Bowl-caliber workforce they anticipated to be going into the season. The workforce’s working sport — its offensive basis — has been stagnant at finest. And all whether it is elevating severe questions on Shanahan’s playcalling and head teaching talents.
Making a shock commerce for McCaffery appears like Shanahan’s try to save lots of this 2022 season.
He’s all in. He took the Niners’ second, third, and fourth-round draft picks on this upcoming NFL Draft and traded for a working again.
That’s past daring.
McCaffery is a prime and versatile working again, sure, however he’s a working again, nonetheless. One with salary-cap hits of $19.5 million in 2023 and 2024, as well.
Such a participant appears antithetical to Shanahan’s soccer ethos, too. The Shanahan household crest would possibly as nicely be an undrafted working again being a shock Week 1 starter and dashing for 1,250 yards on a instructor’s wage. Shanahan’s father, Mike, created star backs together with his wide-zone working sport in Denver, and Shanahan has finished the identical as an offensive coordinator and because the Niners’ head coach.
Buying and selling for McCaffery is a giant threat. You noticed the large draft capital the Niners despatched to Charlotte.
But it surely could be a threat value taking. In any case, this season is value saving.
Plus, McCaffrey’s contract lacks assured cash after this 12 months, the Niners are horrible at drafting on Day 2 (when Shanahan normally picks ‘his guys’), and the workforce nonetheless has two compensatory third-round picks in hand after Thursday’s commerce.
The query isn’t if the Niners can go all-in. Pushing chips to the center of the desk is justifiable.
However what sort of hand is worthy of that type of guess?
McCaffery has the expertise that might put the Niners excessive.
He’s additionally a participant who has missed 23 of his workforce’s final 39 video games.
The workforce that may’t appear to maintain anybody wholesome is hoping for — and betting on — the previous.
It’s downright loopy.
However, hey, which may simply be what this 49ers’ season wanted.