Steelers Trade Bid on Aiyuk: Pickens & First-Round Pick?

Are the Pittsburgh Steelers in or out? Publicly, the Steelers have suggested they are out on the impending trade of San Francisco 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk, but when a player of that magnitude is available, is any team really “out”?

What we now know: Pittsburgh has at the very least "re-entered'' talks here.

Among the rumors: The Steelers are dangling either Dan Moore Jr., James Daniels or Calvin Austin plus a second-round pick ... while the 49ers allegedly want one of these back in trade for Aiyuk: A first-round pick plus either Pat Freiermuth or George Pickens.

That's a steep ask.

NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo believes that since the Steelers are Aiyuk’s “preferred destination” that Pittsburgh was never out of the negotiations.

"Some folks said the Steelers were out of it,” Garafolo says. “Steelers were never out of it, and they're not out of it as we sit here right now. It sounds like, if you piece this all together, that that would be Aiyuk's prefered destination of all the teams that we've talked ahout.

“So, it's just gotta get to the point maybe where the Steelers can sweeten the pot when it comes to the trade offer with the 49ers and then we can get to the point where Aiyuk can get a deal done with the Steelers and get over there."

Pickens and a first-rounder? That's pretty sweet.

As it stands, the 49ers have a receiver that no longer wants to play in San Francisco even though he has one year left on his deal. They are trying to get a max return for him, which we understand.

The problem becomes compensation. Why would teams give up a ton of assets to get a guy they could just get in free agency next year? The 49ers have worked this nicely, getting the Browns and the Steelers to play "bidding war'' ... but in the end, maybe don’t really have a lot of trade leverage here.