Christian McCaffrey (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
San Francisco 49ers superstar Christian McCaffrey may be the best running back in the game right now, but Kyle Shanahan and company should still consider load management for “Run CMC” going forward.
Christian McCaffrey won the rushing title last season with 1,459 yards. He had 14 rushing touchdowns to go along with 67 receptions for 564 yards and seven receiving scores, leading the NFL with 2,023 yards of offense and 21 total TDS.
But as everyone knows, elite running backs begin to decline before their 30th birthdays. Run CMC is about to enter his age-28 season, so the 49ers may want to bring in more help at RB to keep him fresh.
Matthew Davis of Heavy.com made the case for the 49ers to add some depth behind Christian McCaffrey by signing former Minnesota Vikings Pro Bowler Dalvin Cook, who remains a free agent as training camp draws closer:
“San Francisco could utilize Cook to do a number of the things McCaffrey does as added depth to the backfield…Neither 49ers backup running back Elijah Mitchell nor Jordan Mason have produced Cook-like numbers in their careers. Mitchell hit 963 yards rushing in 2021, and Mason’s career high is 258 yards in 2022.”
Here are a bunch of Dalvin Cook touches from his wild card game last year. Judge for yourself.
pic.twitter.com/BKCSEijBGJ— Hayden Winks (@HaydenWinks) August 15, 2023
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Cook was released by the Vikings in a cap-saving move last year despite tallying four straight 1,000-yard seasons. He wound up signing with the New York Jets, but was let go late in the season after seeing just 67 carries for 214 yards and no touchdowns.
The Baltimore Ravens added the four-time Pro Bowler to their roster later in the season. He rushed for 23 yards on eight carries in the Ravens’ Divisional Round victory over the Houston Texans.
Dalvin Cook Would Bolster RB Depth Behind Christian McCaffrey
It’s unlikely that Cook will ever get the chance to be a team’s No. 1 RB again. However, the former Vikings star could still provide valuable depth in San Francisco’s RB room.
San Franciso’s other RBs are Elijah Mitchell, Jordan Mason and rookie Isaac Guerendo, a fourth-round pick out of Louisville. Cook wouldn’t cost much to sign at this point. And he could very well bounce back in a Shanahan offense that has never been short on quality running backs.
AFC Powerhouse Lands Vikings WR Justin Jefferson In Blockbuster Trade Proposal That Would Make Them The Team To Beat Over The Chiefs
Justin Jefferson (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson has been widely mentioned in trade rumors this offseason, simply because the two sides have yet to reach a contract extension.
Justin Jefferson is entering the fifth and final year of his rookie deal. Given his status as the best wide receiver in football, it’s noteworthy that the two sides have failed to find ground on a new deal.
There aren’t indicators on either end that a trade is inevitable. But what if if Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah gets an offer he can’t refuse for the soon-to-be 25-year-old?
Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine proposed a league-changing trade proposal idea that has Minnesota trading Justin Jefferson to the Cincinnati Bengals in exchange for fellow star wideout Tee Higgins and 2025 first and third-round picks:
“The LSU trio of Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson was the engine behind one of college football’s greatest offenses in 2019.
If they were reunited, they would undoubtedly do the same to the league. The Bengals’ battery of Burrow and Chase is already one of the best quarterback-wide receiver connections in the league when they are both healthy. Adding Jefferson to that mix would be unfair to defenses around the league.”
Ja’Marr Chase is arguably the second-best receiver in football behind Jefferson, so it would be downright unfair if Joe Burrow had the luxury of throwing to the both of them.
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Regarding Ballentine’s proposal, it certainly feels fair for both sides. Minnesota would be getting a new No. 1 receiver in Higgins, plus two valuable early-round selections to bolster their roster.
But the Bengals still have to extend Chase and don’t appear keen on keeping Higgins long-term, so it’s unlikely they would complete a trade for Jefferson without agreeing to a new deal ahead of time. Nonetheless, it’s still fun to envision Chase and Jefferson playing together.
Vikings Need To Pay Justin Jefferson
If the Vikings listened to trade offers for Jefferson, there wouldn’t be a shortage of compelling offers coming their way.
But the odds of Minnesota getting equal or greater value in a Jefferson trade are awfully slim. The organization’s best bet is to pay the league’s best-non quarterback what he’s worth, because players of Jefferson’s caliber do not come around very often.
