Why the Patriots are unlikely to trade for Brandon Aiyuk

Why the Patriots are unlikely to trade for Brandon Aiyuk originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Brandon Aiyuk and the New England Patriots seem like a perfect match. The star wide receiver reportedly wants out of San Francisco, and an elite pass-catcher is among the Patriots’ most glaring needs ahead of the 2024 campaign.

According to NFL insider Josina Anderson, the Patriots reached out to the 49ers in the last couple of weeks regarding a potential deal for Aiyuk but were told he wasn’t available. Now that the 26-year-old has requested a trade, is there a legitimate chance he could be sent to New England?

“My answer to that question as we sit here today is no,” NBC Sports Boston’s Patriots insider Phil Perry said on Tuesday’s Early Edition. “And that’s because my guess is the Niners are going to hold on to Brandon Aiyuk, who is an asset even with training camp just days away now. He’ll report. He won’t stay away and incur a bunch of fines. That usually doesn’t go well for guys. My guess is he’ll be there. I don’t know how much he’ll actually participate, but what the Niners probably will do in order to make the most of their leverage is hold onto him.

“Maybe (they’ll) see if somebody else, another team around the league, suffers an injury to that position. Now, all of a sudden they’re desperate and then your leverage is maximized. You could maybe get a first-round pick. AJ Brown went for a first-round pick a couple of years ago. They’re gonna want a first-round pick for that guy. The Patriots might be picking in the top 10 next year in the first round. Does that sound like it’s a feasible plan to you?”

Early Edition host Trenni Casey asked Mike Giardi of the Boston Sports Journal whether Aiyuk would be worth a top-10 pick in next year’s draft.

“No,” Giardi answered. “Look, he’s a terrific player. He’s a top 10 receiver in the league. I don’t think enough people pay attention to how good he is, but there’s no way in hell San Francisco wants to give him up. They’ve…

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Author : NBC Sports Boston

Publish date : 2024-07-17 00:05:49

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