CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Carolina Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer said he started receiving phone calls from teams interested in trading for Christian McCaffrey before the team's 24-10 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, saying the organization decided it was best to make a move for the future.
"The first call was last Friday but it was not something we would consider," Fitterer said. "It picked up Tuesday morning, teams got involved and started calling. We discussed it internally as a group, would we do this? If we do it, what's acceptable, and kind of put a value on it."
He said the Panthers received three "hard" offers from teams, as well as two offers from teams who were simply throwing their name in the mix to see if Carolina would bite. Ultimately, Fitterer said it came down to the 49ers offering the best value for McCaffrey.
"We talked to the teams, a couple of teams didn't have first-round picks that we thought in that area was probably the right area," Fitterer said. "It complicated it that there wasn't a first-round pick to be had, so we had to figure out what's the equivalent of a first-round pick if that's the case."
Fitterer said he talked to McCaffrey Monday about there being a trade offer on the table and to clear up any rumors and hearsay. He said he spoke with McCaffrey around 10:30 p.m. Thursday to notify him of the trade. San Francisco gave the Panthers three picks in the 2023 draft and another in the 2024 draft to acquire McCaffrey's services.
While it wasn't exactly what the team wanted, Fitterer said the 49ers' trade offer came closest to first-round value. He said the teams involved wanted to make a deal while the Panthers were looking to "get what they needed" in exchange for the former All-Pro.
"It got to a point where we thought this was what's best for the organization going forward," Fitterer said. "It's a tough move when you have someone of Christian's stature in the community, as well as the type of player and type of person he is. It's tough to move on from him."
Fitterer pushed back on questions about the team tanking, saying the expectation is to go out and win. The Panthers are currently 1-5 and have the NFL's lowest-ranked offense. To say it's been a struggle would be an understatement, with Baker Mayfield missing last week's game with an ankle injury. PJ Walker is scheduled to start Sunday against Tampa Bay.
"We're going out to compete every day, that doesn't change our focus on winning," Fitterer said.
Interim coach Steve Wilks also rejected claims that the team isn't trying to win games every week.
"There's no such thing as tanking when it comes to myself and the men in that locker room," Wilks said.
As far as other young players, Fitterer said it would "take something astronomical" to make another trade. He didn't name names, but simply said "they're not going anywhere." During Friday's news conference, Fitterer stressed the Panthers' mindset to build through the draft. Acquiring a handful of picks for McCaffrey gives the organization more shots to find good players.
"We want to build through the draft and supplement through free agency," Fitterer said. "Acquiring more picks was important to get to the blueprint that we have in place."
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