Aiyuk is not a player you trade for to take part in a tank.
The Cleveland Browns seem ready to run it back with another attempt at trading for Brandon Aiyuk from the San Francisco 49ers. The receiver only played seven games in 2024, finishing up with 374 receiving yards and a total of zero scores for a San Francisco squad cursed with the injury bug.
He'd be an immediate impact on the Browns' offense, adding another solid target for the Browns' quarterback alongside Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman. The biggest question there, of course, is who would be throwing to Aiyuk, Jeudy, or Tillman in the first place?
Kenny Pickett remains the Browns' only quarterback rostered, although it sounds like the team is down to sign Carson Wentz or Russell Wilson eventually. And, there always remains the possibility of them trading for Kirk Cousins, who Josina Anderson reported could potentially be had for a third rounder.
What does interest in Aiyuk really indicate of all of these possibilities, though?
It indicates that the team could be close to another deal to land a starter - this starter being Wilson.
Wilson signing feels possible with latest Aiyuk to Browns noise
With the team now suddenly interested in Aiyuk after weeks of silence during free agency, and after they had apparently cooled off talks with the 49ers on a potential trade for the receiver, it seems like they're getting ready to get loud with their moves. They've freed $20 million in cap room recently, which isn't exactly starter-levels of money, but it's enough to indicate a big move is coming.
Why would they take such a swing on a young receiver like Aiyuk, who they've had their eye on for a while, if they didn't know they were about to have a bonafide starter on the team, as well? This is why Wilson feels like the next step.
Signing someone like Joe Flacco or Carson Wentz after trading for Aiyuk just doesn't feel like a winning step, nor does it seem like a quarterback plan that'd inspire someone like Myles Garrett. Garrett, of course, signed a monster extension to stay with the team, and he's been clued in to their plans at QB1.
And, Wilson may be losing out on two of his preferred spots with the Browns' 2024 starter Jameis Winston signing with the New York Giants recently, and with Aaron Rodgers having met with the Pittsburgh Steelers recently - however, he didn't leave with a deal.
So, it just feels like Wilson will be a bit forced to sign with Cleveland as his last resort. Not exactly luxurious logic, but if the Steelers opt for Rodgers in 2025 and with the Giants having moved on from Wilson to go sign Winston, it seems like a matter of time before he puts pen to paper in Berea.
This is all speculative. Aiyuk could just be a receiver the Browns feel can add to their WR room and to the arsenal of whichever middling veteran they sign, or as a target for whichever rookie quarterback they decide to start in 2025. But, potentially sacrificing assets and starters in exchange for Aiyuk feels like a move you make when you're pushing all your chips in.
