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With Tom Brady back in the fold, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are reloading their roster in an attempt to win another Super Bowl. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler noted on March 13 that there has been “trade buzz” around Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey.
Fowler added that the Panthers would be inclined to keep McCaffrey if they could land quarterback Deshaun Watson, but Watson was traded March 20 by the Houston Texans to the Cleveland Browns, so the Panthers could be looking for a place to trade McCaffrey, who is about to enter the third year of a four-year contract signed in 2020.
Meanwhile, the Buccaneers have a glaring hole at running back with Leonard Fournette and Ronald Jones hitting free agency. Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox wrote that the Bucs are a team to watch in the McCaffrey sweepstakes.
“The Tampa Bay Buccaneers — should they free up the necessary cap space — could be a team to watch now that quarterback Tom Brady has announced his plans to play in 2022,” Knox wrote on March 14.
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McCaffrey Had a Combined 2,392 Yards & 19 TDs in 2019
McCaffrey comes with a hefty $8.4 million salary in 2022 as part of his four-year, $64 million contract that runs through 2025. The Buccaneers are an estimated $246,049 above the salary cap, per Over the Cap. Yet, we have seen Tampa Bay general manager Jason Licht get creative with the salary cap to maximize the team’s window with Brady.
The Panthers may be willing to move McCaffrey at a discount given the running back has played a combined 10 games the last two seasons. McCaffrey has battled multiple injuries since being arguably the top running back in the league in 2019.
McCaffrey, who will be 26 when the 2022 season starts, posted 287 carries for 1,387 yards and 15 touchdowns during his Pro Bowl campaign two seasons ago. The playmaker also added 116 receptions for 1,005 yards and four touchdowns.
McCaffrey Would Offer the Bucs a Great Alternative to Fournette
If the Buccaneers don’t re-sign Fournette, a healthy McCaffrey could be a useful weapon for Brady given his receiving prowess. McCaffrey has 3,015 career receiving yards and 17 receiving touchdowns. Last offseason, the Buccaneers signed Gio Bernard to be the team’s pass-catching back but the veteran had mixed results in 2021, catching three touchdown passes and averaging 5.3 yards per reception, the lowest average in his nine-year career.
McCaffrey would not only be a pass-catching threat, but is truly a three-down back. The Buccaneers also have running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn, who could help the team limit McCaffrey’s workload. The Panthers running back comes with a high salary, but his deal does have an out in 2023, per Spotrac.
The Panthers Are Listening to Offers for McCaffrey: Report
ESPN’s David Newton reported on March 8 that the Panthers were listening to offers for McCaffrey. Carolina’s asking price is a first-round pick, something the Panthers are unlikely to find given McCaffrey’s sizable contract combined with the diminished value of running backs around the league.
“Multiple teams have called the Carolina Panthers about a possible trade for Pro Bowl running back Christian McCaffrey, a league source confirmed,” Newton wrote. “Although the Panthers aren’t looking to unload McCaffrey, multiple league sources said they would consider a deal if offered a first-round pick and another player without a big salary-cap number.”
The Buccaneers are unlikely to give up a first-round selection for McCaffrey, but if they could land the rival running back for a day-two pick it is worth exploring as the team continues to go all-in with Brady. Heading into the offseason, Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer attempted to downplay the trade rumors but admitted he would listen to calls about McCaffrey.
“So, that was a good talk I had with Christian this morning. I think we sat there 30, 45 minutes and we addressed all those things,” Fitterer told reporters on January 10. “I told him what was the truth and what was not the truth and kind of everything that had played out. I think there was a report back in November that we were actively trying to trade him and that was not true. What I did tell him though is, ‘Hey, listen, as a GM, I’ll take any call and make any offer you want. That doesn’t mean we’re going to do it. Doesn’t mean we’re shopping you. I’ll listen.’
“I look at Christian as the foundation piece on this team, one of those building blocks. We’re a better team when he’s on the field. He’s one of the elite players in the NFL, and I told him I would love for him to be here. But I will never not take a call if somebody calls and offers something crazy, yeah, you would look at it. But there’s no intentions right now of trading Christian McCaffrey.”
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