Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
When Brandon Aiyuk trade negotiations gained new steam, several teams were involved. This included the Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots, and Pittsburgh Steelers. Of those three, only the Steelers appear to still be involved.
The Patriots were reportedly ruled out because Aiyuk didn’t like their shaky quarterback situation. While Drake Maye could very well be the future franchise quarterback, despite a strong Week 2 preseason performance, he hasn’t proven anything yet.
Meanwhile the Browns presented a respectable offer for Aiyuk. But he reportedly didn’t want to play for the Browns, for whatever reason. Yet, one former NFL front office executive now believes the Browns are better off without the second-team All-Pro receiver.
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Barring a change of heart, the Cleveland Browns won’t be trading for Brandon Aiyuk. But one former, unnamed NFL exec actually believes not getting Aiyuk and paying him a massive contract is a good thing.
“They didn’t need Brandon Aiyuk. I think they actually dodged a bullet by not trading for him. That was too much to give up, along with a new extension, for him. He’s good, but he’s not that good. “
Anonymous former NFL exec speaking to SI’s Evan Massey
The Browns were reportedly ready to trade Amari Cooper, plus a second and fifth-round pick in exchange for Aiyuk. They also would have had to agree to a contract extension that makes Aiyuk one of the NFL’s highest-paid receivers. The Patriots were ready to pay Aiyuk $32 million per season, but that wasn’t an intriguing enough option to play in New England.
It’s not known what Aiyuk’s exact contract demands are. Chances are the 49ers receiver wants something either in the high $20 million to low $30 million range.
Meanwhile, Aiyuk and the 49ers have since re-started their contract extension negotiations, and the current belief is that San Francisco will be able to work something out. But at what cost? We’ll all have to wait to find out.
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