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49ers WR Brandon AiyukMichael Owens/Getty Images
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk remains the topic of trade speculation and for good reason. The 26-year-old star pass-catcher formally requested a trade last week, and interested teams might have a chance to make a splash at the start of training camp.
The New England Patriots have reportedly been one of those interested teams. According to ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio, New England was one of five teams that tried to acquire Aiyuk before the draft.
“It’s unclear what the 49ers wanted at the time,” Florio wrote. “They rejected an offer of a second-round pick from the Patriots. Other interested teams were, and potentially still are, the Steelers and Commanders.”
According to NFL Insider Josina Anderson, the Patriots have reached out regarding Aiyuk much more recently and been rebuffed.
“I’m told within the last couple of weeks the Patriots reached out to the 49ers inquiring about WR Brandon Aiyuk again and were told the talented wide receiver was not being traded at the time, per source,” Anderson posted on X on July 16.
It appears that Aiyuk’s trade request isn’t likely to change San Francisco’s stance on moving him.
“One source told me that he wants to either be traded or paid, the
49ers have shown a willingness to do neither,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said Saturday on SportsCenter (h/t Bleacher Report’s Mike Chiari). “Now, they want to pay him,
the context is market value, they don’t want to get up to that $30
million range that he feels he’s earned.”
Just because San Francisco isn’t eager to move Aiyuk, the Patriots shouldn’t simply abandon their pursuit.
While Aiyuk has only logged one season of top-tier production—last year’s 1,342-yard, seven-touchdown campaign—he’s flashed the talent of a true No. 1 target. He’s coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns, has averaged just under 1,000 yards per season and has developed into one of the league’s top route-runners.
Simply put, Aiyuk is the perfect No. 1 target to pair with Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye
New England had one of the NFL’s most underwhelming receiving corps over the last couple of seasons, which certainly didn’t help the development of 2021 first-round pick Mac Jones. Demario Douglas led last year’s team with only 561 receiving yards, and No. 2 wideout, Kendrick Bourne, is returning from a torn ACL.
The Patriots didn’t do a ton to upgrade their receiver room aside from adding K.J. Osborn and using a second-round pick on Washington’s Ja’Lynn Polk. However, Adding Aiyuk would change the complexion of the offense dramatically.
The argument against targeting Aiyuk is that prying him away for the 49ers would likely cost a first-round pick and more. It would also mean giving him a high-market contract. By waiting a year, the Patriots could potentially pursue a pass-catcher like Aiyuk or Tee Higgins in free agency or snag a first-round receiver on a rookie contract.
Of course, there’s no guarantee that the Patriots can lure a top receiver to New England without overpaying, and rookies are always a bit of a gamble. Aiyuk is a proven commodity, and the Patriots can afford to meet his asking price.
Acquiring Aiyuk now would also get a high-end receiver into the locker room early in Maye’s development. Maye might not start early in 2024—journeyman Jacoby Brissett was the starter during minicamp—but it would be a surprise if he doesn’t start at all as a rookie.
And if Brissett suffers an injury, it could force Maye onto the field before sooner than expected, and that could be disastrous without a functional receiving corps.
Of course, the 49ers may simply refuse to move Aiyuk at any price. Their Super Bowl window is open, and they can maintain team control over Aiyuk for two more seasons via the franchise tag if they so choose.
However, New England needs to keep trying. It has a new quarterback of the future to develop, and Aiyuk is the best young receiver it could possibly hope to obtain at this point in the offseason.
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