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The Philadelphia Eagles are a team without many needs, although they do have a few nagging injuries along the offensive line. But they’re 5-0 for a reason, so pending any bad injury news, if general manager Howie Roseman goes shopping at the trade deadline, he’ll be looking for luxury additions, not to fill big holes.
Heavy NFL insider Matt Lombardo has a name in mind that would certainly qualify as a luxury addition: Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey. Lombardo writes that the two-time All-Pro is “wasting away in Carolina,” as the Panthers sit at 1-4, while McCaffrey has 512 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns on the season.
Lombardo adds that even if the Panthers draft a franchise quarterback in 2023, “McCaffrey, 26, could be approaching the back end of his prime before a rookie quarterback is capable of turning the franchise’s fortunes around.”
Lombardo believes the list of possible trade partners could include the San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Buffalo Bills, or Philadelphia Eagles. At first glance, it appears the Eagles would have a tough time figuring out who to keep off the field if they added McCaffrey, but perhaps there are some reasons to consider it.
The Case for the Eagles to Trade for Christian McCaffrey
While Miles Sanders isn’t a superstar, he’s third in the league in rushing yards behind only Nick Chubb and Saquon Barkley, and ninth in yards per carry among those with at least 60 rushing attempts. Sanders is averaging 4.8 yards per attempt, while McCaffrey is only at 4.7 yards per carry. So, what gives?
Well, first of all, Sanders has never been an elite pass catching back. McCaffrey is, having topped 100 receptions in two seasons. His career average of 8.4 yards per catch is more than double what Sanders is putting up this season with 4.1 yards per reception. In fact, Sanders receiving numbers have gotten worse each season throughout his career.
Meanwhile, Boston Scott and Kenneth Gainwell have been notably absent from the Eagles’ passing attack. Gainwell has just 4 catches for 21 yards, while Scott has 1 catch for 2 yards.
In fact, the Eagles second and third backs haven’t gotten it going on the ground this year either. Gainwell has 18 carries for 72 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Scott has 10 attempts for 29 yards and 1 score.
Sanders is also on pace for 296 carries this year. His career high is 179. For whatever reason, the Eagles coaching staff hasn’t felt comfortable rotating the other running backs in as much as in the past.
Sanders has had injury problems in previous years, and while McCaffrey has as well, at least they’d serve as insurance policies on each other. The odds of both going down are far lower than the odds of the Eagles losing Sanders as the only feature back on the roster.
The Eagles are averaging 23.4 rushes per game to their running backs. McCaffrey has averaged 13.5 rushes over his career, while Sanders has averaged 12.6. So the Eagles wouldn’t have to run the ball too much more to accommodate both backs’ usual workload.
The Sticking Point in a Potential McCaffrey Trade to Philadelphia
The asking price is what seems most likely to make Roseman balk, as Lombardo points out that the Eagles’ two first-round draft picks could make them willing to make the trade.
However, it’s hard to imagine Roseman giving up even a late first-round pick for a running back with a $19.55 million cap hit in 2023, according to Spotrac. In March, the Panthers asking price was a first-round pick and a player on a cap-friendly contract, according to ESPN’s David Newton.
The Eagles may work the phones, but unless that price comes down, it’s hard to imagine McCaffrey ending up in midnight green.
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