The Niners cost Matt Rhule a job after beating the Panthers on Sunday and they may have also spelled the end for their star running back.
With reports of a fire sale looming for what looks like one of the worst teams in the NFL, many have speculated that Christian McCaffrey is on the trading block. Paying a premium for a RB is rarely a great value pick, but one could see a Super Bowl contender making a short-term buy for a player that has an out in his contract after this season.
Could the 49ers be one of those teams? According to the oddsmakers at Bookies.com, San Francisco is on the shortlist. They say that San Francisco has a 9.1 percent probability of trading for the two-time All-Pro, the sixth most likely odds to land him.
The 49ers sit behind him staying with the Panthers and signing with the Bills, Broncos, Rams and Buccaneers.
It’s easy to drool while imagining McCaffrey in Kyle Shanahan’s offense, but you should also remember that the 49ers and Shanahan don’t have a history of paying big money to running backs. Shanahan’s offensive system is predicated on getting great production out of the running game nearly independent of who is carrying the ball.
McCaffrey to the 49ers is probably a pipe dream, but it doesn’t hurt to dream once in a while.