Four trade candidates the KC Chiefs should avoid
By Jacob Milham
Running back Christian McCaffrey
Veach putting running back Christian McCaffrey with Mahomes and Kansas City head coach Andy Reid sounds like a fantasy or a steal of the century. That possibility seems more plausible in 2022. But, would the proverbial juice be worth the squeeze?
McCaffrey seems like his old self this season, averaging more than 100 yards from scrimmage in 2022. After the Panthers fired head coach Matt Rhule, the narrative became that every Panthers player was available. But, Carolina has made no trades yet. That could change as the 1-4 record gets worse, but actions speak louder than words. The Panthers are in no rush to trade their players.
The 26-year-old running back only played 10 games between the 2020 and 2021 seasons due to a litany of injuries. McCaffrey’s current rushing and receiving yards per game still fall short of his electric production during the 2018 and 2019 seasons. A subpar offensive line and struggling quarterbacks could rightfully be to blame. But, the Panthers’ asking price could very well be reflective of what McCaffrey did three years ago, not what he is doing now.
NFL analyst Maurice Jones-Drew has already named Kansas City as a possible destination for McCaffrey. Jones-Drew said “McCaffrey could be the truly explosive element the attack has been missing,” despite solid production from current Chiefs running backs. If the asking price is very low, then the Chiefs should be in. If the Chiefs want more production from their running backs, they need to look at the scheme, not the individual players.