San Francisco 49ers should be credited with pulling off two of the best trades of the decade
The San Francisco 49ers on Monday received effusive praise from a rival NFL executive for the trade that brought them Christian McCaffrey.
A move widely questioned when it was made, the 49ers’ decision to send four picks (a second-rounder, third-rounder and fourth-rounder in 2023 and a fifth-rounder in 2024) to the Carolina Panthers has been emphatically vindicated, with McCaffrey transforming the San Francisco attack and earning the Offensive Player of the Year award in 2023.
And a player-personnel executive, quoted by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler for his ranking of the top running backs in the league after polling coaches, executives and scouts, said:
“San Francisco made one of the best trades of the decade when they got him [in 2022]. He’s perfect for what they do.”
There is no doubt, given the remarkable impact of McCaffrey, who ranked first in the ESPN poll, that the executive’s assessment of a deal in which the 49ers did not give up a first-round pick is accurate.
However, crediting the Niners with just one of the best trades of the decade actually undersells their efforts in the trade market in recent years.
Two years prior to the McCaffrey trade, the 49ers pulled off arguably an even bigger steal, landing left tackle Trent Williams for a 2020 fifth-round pick and a third-round pick in 2021.
Williams has since gone on to firmly solidify his status as the premier tackle in football. He has been named to four Pro Bowls as a member of the 49ers, taking his career tally to 11, and received first-team All-Pro honors three times.
McCaffrey would not be able to have such a remarkable influence on the passing game and certainly not the running game if not for Williams, whose combination of size, pass protection prowess and remarkable athleticism has made him perhaps the most critical jenga piece on the 49er offense.
In short, the 49ers gave up one top-100 pick for a foundational piece of their offense at a position many would consider the most important on that side of the ball aside from quarterback.
If the McCaffrey trade is viewed as one of the best of the decade, then the Williams deal must be given the same tag and should, given the difference in price, probably be viewed as the superior of the two moves.
