The San Francisco 49ers moved aggressively to land Christian McCaffrey from the Carolina Panthers on Thursday. One reason for that might be which teams they were up against in trade talks.
Three teams were in the running for McCaffrey right up until the end when the Panthers accepted the 49ers’ offer, according to Albert Breer of The MMQB. One of those teams was the Los Angeles Rams, the 49ers’ chief NFC West rival.
Some more on the Panthers/49ers blockbuster …
• Niners were 1st to reach out on McCaffrey, last Friday.
• More called Tuesday, some more serious than others.
• Three teams (Rams were one of them) in it at the end.
• Deal got done between 9 and 11 p.m. ET last night.— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) October 21, 2022
There is nothing surprising about the Rams being aggressive. That has been the way they operate for a few years now. Add in that one of their running backs appears to be on his way out, and there is something of a natural fit there.
Ultimately, the 49ers had the draft capital and desire to get a deal done. That will leave the Rams frustrated, and may ultimately ensure that the 49ers are regarded as the division favorites going forward if they weren’t already.
