Patriots Rumor Patriots potentially trading for Aiyuk (Update - Patriots Out of the Running)

[Ross12]

Not sure what Russini's source was but FWIW:

NFL insider reveals why Brandon Aiyuk turned down trade to Patriots

There reportedly were multiple reasons why 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk wasn't interested in going to the Patriots via trade.

sports.yahoo.com

Aiyuk does not have a NTC as far as I know but he certainly can tell the Pats he will not re-sign here after the trade...basically making the Pats fork over all that money for a rental. Can't blame the team for walking away from that scenario.

Keep the rebuild going, be patient and eventually top players will want to play here again.

This logic is sort of defeated by the idea that he specifically wants to go to Pittsburgh, a team that A) hasn't done anything in the playoffs in a very long time and B) has Jack and **** at the QB position. So this is either a BS report, dishonesty from Aiyuk, or he's a total idiot.

I mean, give me a break. The Pats also needed a QB this year. They also could've signed Wilson, or traded for Fields. But they did neither, because those guys suck. But somehow those guys are the draw for Aiyuk? Makes no sense.

 

[Zuma]

 

[Wozzy]

Translation • the free market made Aiyuk realize San Francisco’s original offer was closer to what he is worth than what everyone else was willing to pay.

 

[Ross12]

So my read on this is that him basically saying “I’ll only go to Pittsburgh” meant that Pittsburgh had little incentive to meet SF’s trade demands since they knew there were no other suitors, but also meant they had little incentive to offer Aiyuk a huge money contract since again - there were no other suitors. So the deal goes nowhere and Aiyuk is back at square 1 and says “fine I’ll just go there in free agency next year” and SF says “not if we franchise tag your ass”. So Aiyuk is left needing to either sign a lower deal with SF, accept a trade to somewhere besides Pittsburgh, or just deal with potentially waiting a long time before actually hitting free agency.

Long story short - don’t handle your business like Brandon Aiyuk

 

[XLIX]

I think Aiyuk realized he could take a huge contract on a crappy team (*cough*patriots*cough*) or he could stay on a competitor. Not both.

 

[lancerman]

This logic is sort of defeated by the idea that he specifically wants to go to Pittsburgh, a team that A) hasn't done anything in the playoffs in a very long time and B) has Jack and **** at the QB position. So this is either a BS report, dishonesty from Aiyuk, or he's a total idiot.

I mean, give me a break. The Pats also needed a QB this year. They also could've signed Wilson, or traded for Fields. But they did neither, because those guys suck. But somehow those guys are the draw for Aiyuk? Makes no sense.

There's a lot of players that have a raging hard on for Russell Wilson for whatever reason and he's respected around the league.

 

[TheRainMaker]

He forced the 49ers hand as I said a long time ago. The 49ers ****ed up by allowing him to talk to other teams. 9ers initial offer was $26M per year and the Pats offered $30-32M. Aiyuk is not backing down and rejecting all trades, but Pittsburgh so the 49ers are trying one last time to sign him long term.

 

[sb1]

Looks like the Browns got Aiyuk’d as well

 

[Ross12]

He forced the 49ers hand as I said a long time ago. The 49ers ****ed up by allowing him to talk to other teams. 9ers initial offer was $26M per year and the Pats offered $30-32M. Aiyuk is not backing down and rejecting all trades, but Pittsburgh so the 49ers are trying one last time to sign him long term.

I don’t think he really forced their hand in any way. Sure NE offered more, but he says “I don’t wanna play there though”. Ok great, well what did Pittsburgh offer? I have to guess it was a lot closer to $26M. Let’s say it was $28M. Okay, so maybe now he says “Pittsburgh is a place I would play and they’re offering me $28M”, SF says “okay that sounds like it’ll be nice for you in 3 years once we are done franchise tagging you, since they aren’t willing to trade what we want for you.”

So Aiyuk either has to take a little less to get his money and stay put, or accept playing in a different city for even more money.

 

[lancerman]

Looks like the Browns got Aiyuk’d as well

Great I feel better, we are being treated like the ****ing Browns.

 

[TheRainMaker]

I don’t think he really forced their hand in any way. Sure NE offered more, but he says “I don’t wanna play there though”. Ok great, well what did Pittsburgh offer? I have to guess it was a lot closer to $26M. Let’s say it was $28M. Okay, so maybe now he says “Pittsburgh is a place I would play and they’re offering me $28M”, SF says “okay that sounds like it’ll be nice for you in 3 years once we are done franchise tagging you, since they aren’t willing to trade what we want for you.”

So Aiyuk either has to take a little less to get his money and stay put, or accept playing in a different city for even more money.

Assuming he stays in SF and has another big season, I don't think the 49ers are going to be able to FA tag him for a few reasons: 1. They will be -$38M in cap space in 2025. 2. They have many guys up for extensions which they will lose out on if they tag Aiyuk. 3. They are too far apart on their offer to the value that has been set for him (NE $30-$32M). This was the 9ers major **** up. At least they are trying one last ditch effort to lock him up before it becomes a real problem when the season begins. This situation is identical to Deion Branch in 2006. It would be a mistake for SF to trade him. Like Branch, I would've kept him one last year and then let him walk.

 

[borg]

Great I feel better, we are being treated like the ****ing Browns.

When you hire the Browns' discarded OC, what'd you expect?

 

[Ring 6]

Great I feel better, we are being treated like the ****ing Browns.

Actually we are being treated like every team that isn’t Pittsburgh in this case.
But the browns are currently a much stronger organization that us.
There coaching staff is far more experienced and successful (our OC is a guy who wasn’t good enough to be theirs do they wouldn’t let him call plays and fired him) and their ownership is showing a much greater commitment to winning right now that ours is.

 

[Ring 6]

When you hire the Browns' discarded OC, what'd you expect?

They spend their cap money too.

 

[Real fan 02]

I think Aiyuk's biggest fear is what all good players expecting a big payday fear and that is the dreaded franchise tag. This is why they start holding out with their 5th year option. If I were the 9ers, I would cut a deal with him to promise to not use the franchise tag if he comes back and ends this nonsense. Asante Samuel said that's what he did after Bill franchised him in 2006. He told Bill he'd only sign the tag and not hold out if Bill promised not to tag him and 2007 and Bill honored it.

It reported now that he's likely to stay with 9ners... they have reopened contract talks..

 

[KCSVEN]

It reported now that he's likely to stay with 9ners... they have reopened contract talks..

I'm sure in 5 minutes there will be new reports, what a ridiculous saga.

 

[Real fan 02]

I'm sure in 5 minutes there will be new reports, what a ridiculous saga.

Was offered 28 initially... he's a top 10ush WR on a superbowl team... he has an opportunity to paid and win a ring.

 

[203Pat]

What a dog and pony show this whole thing turned out to be. All this for him to likely stay in San Francisco.

 

[cmasspatsfan]

I would rather have Cece Lamb.

 

[mgteich]

What a dog and pony show this whole thing turned out to be. All this for him to likely stay in San Francisco.

There was a lot of time to fill. Most understood that no top WR would be likely to want to sign a long-term contract with us in 2024.

We did well to get Osborne. We'll get a top WR in the next off-season.