By the day, there are stronger and stronger indications that Brandon Aiyuk won't start the regular season as a member of the San Francisco 49ers. According to The Athletic , three teams are the main suitors for the wide receiver: the Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots, and Pittsburgh Steelers.
According to NFL Network, a trade is more likely than an extension at this point, so it makes sense to evaluate potential packages and what would make sense for all sides involved.
So, we asked our Browns, Steelers, and Patriots beat writers to put their GM hats on and come up with trade packages. Nicholas McGee, our 49ers beat writer, has the task to decide what package would make the most sense for John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan.
For the Patriots, there are a lot of people mentioning Matthew Judon and a 2025 second-round pick, which is a possibility. If the 49ers want a receiver, Tyquan Thornton has not had the best track record since getting into the league, but has looked promising. It's possible to unite everything in one package to make it more appealing. There is some talk around Kendrick Bourne, a former 49ers player, but he's coming off an ACL inury, so the value might not be there.
Sophie Weller 's final offer: Matthew Judon + Tyquan Thornton + 2025 second-round pick for Brandon Aiyuk
Trading Aiyuk for picks would be a tough take for the 49ers because they're built to win the Super Bowl not five years down the road. While Aiyuk is a younger, better option than Cooper right now, the current Browns wideout could pick up the production that Aiyuk leaves behind. Cooper had 1,250 receiving yards on 128 targets in 2024, while Aiyuk had 1,342 yards on 105 targets. Cleveland makes this trade because it gives them a younger wideout that they would feel comfortable giving. Cooper will play in his age-30 season in 2024, while Aiyuk is just 26.
Brandon Little 's final offer: Amari Cooper + 2025 third-round pick for Brandon Aiyuk
The Steelers could work around a first-rounder, but the 49ers would have to send back a fourth alongside Aiyuk to make it reasonable. To spice it up, the Steelers could send edge rusher Alex Highsmith, but that would force them to lessen the picks involved.
Rob Gregson 's final offer: Alex Highsmith, 2025 second-round pick, 2025 third-round pick for Brandon Aiyuk and a 2025 fourth-round pick
Of the three packages, the one from the Steelers would be comfortably the most alluring. Cleveland's would be more palatable if the pick was a second-rounder, but the prospect of getting future day 2 picks to reload the roster, along with an edge rusher in his prime already signed to a long-term deal in Highsmith, would set the 49ers up well for the short term and the long term.
The offense would be worse off without Aiyuk, but the defense's edge rotation of Nick Bosa, Leonard Floyd, Alex Highsmith and Yetur Gross-Matos would be extremely formidable and give them a better chance of mitigating the impact of a potential offensive drop-off.
Final decision: Brandon Aiyuk goes to the Pittsburgh Steelers
Related: The financial implications of a potential Brandon Aiyuk-Amari Cooper trade between the 49ers and Browns
Local San Francisco, CA
Most Popular
Comments / 0