In all the preseason chaos yesterday, some got lost in a report that came out on Friday from Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area, who reported that the Cleveland Browns offered Amari Cooper and a second- and fifth-round draft pick to the 49ers in exchange for wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
Like the New England Patriots, Aiyuk blocked that from happening, or as Maiocco put it, “it wasn't Aiyuk's preferred destination.”
Now, the above trade: Cooper, 2nd, 5th, and another 3rd if Cooper leaves in free agency (via a compensatory pick). This is a rip-off. I've been pushing for two 1st picks, but Cooper and those picks are comfortable. Plus, Cooper can fit in quickly (if he can learn an offense similar to Cleveland's). Cooper is no Brandon Aiyuk, but he's a decent replacement for at least a year.
Cooper took to Instagram to share his thoughts on the incident.
If I were Brandon Aiyuk and I saw that, I would wonder why you (Cooper) wanted to get out of there in such a hurry. I'm not hurt or surprised or disrespected. I'm just saying, 'Hey, do it, get me out of here.' But I'm not Brandon Aiyuk, and neither I nor anybody else know what's actually going on.
That said, here's how this event unfolded (albeit rumored to be unfolding): We need to break down all of this to see where we are: First, the Patriots offered Brandon Aiyuk more than he wanted.
Aiyuk: No.
The Browns then made an offer to the 49ers for an unreported amount, but as Aiyuk said on “The Pivot” podcast, it would likely be better than the 49ers' $25.5 million offer.
Aiyuk: No.
If that happens, Aiyuk's preferred destination would be the Pittsburgh Steelers.
49ers: “No.”
According to a recent report from Tom Pelissero, the 49ers have resumed negotiations with Brandon Aiyuk. There are rumors circulating on social media that Aiyuk wants whatever the Steelers would offer, but nothing concrete has emerged as of this writing.
As of now, the expectation is that the 49ers can get a deal done. The longer they wait until the start of the season, the longer it could take for Aiyuk to get acclimated to the offense again. Hopefully, something will come out soon.
Following the 49ers' Week 1 preseason game against the Tennessee Titans on Saturday, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan was naturally asked about the matter, and he had nothing to say.
“I've met with Brandon here a number of times since camp began,” Shanahan said in his postgame press conference. “I'm not going to get into any of our personal matters.”
Mind you, he doesn't want to get into the personal issues between them.
