Did he win? No. He also has a crucial fumble that cost the team the victory. Chris Jones made a bigger difference in that game than CMC did. That's why you pay DTs not RBs which are a luxury position
Someone compared Aiyuk's situation to DeForest Buckner in 2020. I agree. Instead of blowing up their cap space to re-sign him, the 49ers will trade him for draft picks and select his successor. Overpaying for Deebo two years ago probably prevents them from investing in Aiyuk. I have a soft spot for Greenlaw but Kyle Shanahan doesn't operate that way. >50% he's cut because he can probably only play 7-8 games next year and who knows how effective he'll be. It's hard to imagine them without Juszczyk. Maybe his contract makes him easy to cut.
If you sign Barkley you might as well draft Thomas and Theo Johnson as well and become elite on offense.
Did *he* win? What a strange question to ask. A better question to ask is where the 49ers would've ended up if you take away CMC's ~2,300 yards from scrimmage and 25 TDs from the previous 19 games. It's not the Super Bowl, that's for sure. He was the league's offensive player of the year for a reason. If you think Chris Jones is better/more valuable - OK. But to draw *any* conclusions based on a single game - about an individual player - is silly.
If both Barkley and Evans are a possibility then that could mean a defense heavy draft. Which I wouldn't hate. But could still draft a RB to backup Barkley in rounds 2-4 if the value is there.
I don't know, 49ers did make the SB with Mostert at RB, so who is to say if you replaced CMC with other RBs and more importantly, use his salary savings on shoring up other areas of the team, that the Niners wouldn't be as successful or more? Calling CMC the offensive player of the year is just a label. There are at least 10 QBs I would take over CMC if you are asking me which player is more is more important to an offense. It doesn't matter that CMC is an offensive player of the year, the position he plays is a luxury position. You don't need a good one to win the Super Bowl. You don't need to invest large amounts of your cap space on an RB. For the teams that do, it doesn't work out.
Calling CMC a RB is a disservice to him. There’s a reason he’s the offensive player of the year. If, and I do think it’s a big if, Saquon can be 70-80% of CMC that relieves so much pressure off of CJ.
In the 28 games prior to trading for CMC, the Niners were 14-14. Post-trade, they're 22-6. They were the best team in the NFC this past season and lost the Super Bowl in OT. CMC has made a seismic impact on that team. No one is suggesting you take a RB over a QB. That's a strawman. But in terms of non-QBs, the list of players I would take over CMC is: Tyreek Hill and... That might be it. If he were younger, Kelce, obviously. Except for the 49ers, you mean?... I think a fair argument is that investing in any *other* running back might not be wise, because CMC is a singular talent unlike any in the NFL and may be the lone exception to the rule. But arguing CMC somehow proves you shouldn't invest in a high-end running back is just a bonkers stance.
Problem is our "Highest dollar lineman" is a pass blocker not a run blocker. This is my issue with Tunsil.
