Christian McCaffrey Trade Call for Buffalo Bills: How 'Close' Before Deal with 49ers?

It was with the knowledge that the price was going to be high that we remained skeptical of Buffalo's rumored involvement in a Christian McCaffrey trade.

The Buffalo Bills may have made a phone call to the Carolina Panthers regarding a trade for running back Christian McCaffrey; that would make sense.

But a report that the Bills were not among the final teams vying for McCaffrey's services makes even more sense.

On Thursday night, the 49ers pulled the trigger on the deal, the Panthers getting a second-round pick in 2023, a third-rounder in 2023, a fourth-round pick in 2023 and a fifth-rounder in 2024.

It was with the knowledge that the price was going to be high that we remained skeptical of Buffalo's rumored involvement.

So we buy NFL Network's Ian Rapoport when he reports that the Bills were "not in the deal at the end'' - an "end'' that apparently left the Niners and Rams as the two suitors. And at the same time, we also buy the suggestion from KOA Colorado’s Benjamin Allbright, who says the Bills made at least an inquiry into the idea.

And we can also note: Yes, the oft-injured, highly skilled and pricy McCaffrey would have been a wonderful piece to add to the Bills' high-flying offense, which validates the idea that "Buffalo ...would love to have McCaffrey's skills in their backfield," as ESPN said in a report.

But "love'' isn't enough. Only four drafts picks was enough.

In a vacuum, McCaffrey on an offense led by Josh Allen and featuring Stefon Diggs, would obviously "love'' the add. (Even with Devin Singletary and James Cook doing what they do.)

But the Niners decided to "love'' the idea more, leaving Buffalo with plenty to love about its roster as already presently constructed.

Bills Mafia! Get your Buffalo game tickets from SI Tickets ... here!

You're a member of Bills Mafia hungry for more Buffalo coverage? Read here.