Why 49ers could trade Aiyuk as contract talks continue to stall

Why would the 49ers be willing to move wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk if, like most NFL trades , they receive only draft picks in return?

The answer is: They probably would not.

After all, San Francisco is built to win now. And there is no reason for them to be interested in anything that weakens the team for the coming season.

But what if they could acquire a proven wide receiver in addition to future draft picks?

Now, that starts to make sense for the 49ers and Aiyuk. 

The Cleveland Browns and the New England Patriots are the most-likely trade partners, according to a report Saturday from Cam Marino of NFLdraftbuzz.

The Browns could afford to pay Aiyuk if wide receiver Amari Cooper were dealt to San Francisco in a trade, wrote long-time beat reporter Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.

In such a scenario, the 49ers could get a veteran receiver to immediately compensate for the loss of Aiyuk, and the All-Pro wideout would go to a team willing to provide him with the big contract he desires.

Cooper, 30, is coming off a season in which he caught 72 passes for 1,250 yards and five touchdowns with the Browns. He has seven 1,000-yard seasons in his nine-year NFL career.

The Browns would be getting Aiyuk, 26, a younger player who has improved every season he’s been in the NFL. Last year, he caught 75 passes for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns. He was selected as a second-team AP All-Pro.

General manager John Lynch said upon the opening of training camp that he expected Aiyuk to be with the 49ers this season.

But things change.

And what’s changed is Aiyuk and San Francisco have taken longer than expected to finalize a deal after the sides nearly had an agreement months ago. When the receiver market blew up, so did the contract talks.

Because Cooper is in the final year of his contract, the Browns would also likely send multiple draft picks to the 49ers, including the possibility of a second-round selection in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Of course, such a trade would be contingent on Aiyuk agreeing to a long-term contract with the Browns, which would pay him among the top receivers in the NFL.

If the teams are deep into talks, Aiyuk’s representation would have already received permission from the 49ers to speak with any agreed-upon potential trade partners.

Aiyuk remains under contract with San Francisco. He is scheduled to make $14.124 million this season after the 49ers picked up his fully guaranteed fifth-year option last year.

A new contract would likely pay Aiyuk somewhere in the neighborhood of $30 million per season.

The Patriots are another logical trade partner for the 49ers. The Patriots could offer former 49ers wide receiver Kendrick Bourne as part of a trade that includes an enticing package of 2025 draft picks.

Aiyuk reported to training camp on July 23, but he has yet to practice as part of his “hold in” while his contract situation remains unresolved.

He has been a regular presence in Santa Clara. He attends meetings and often watches practices. His every move around Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan around the practice field is observed and scrutinized.

Aiyuk has expressed an interest in remaining with the 49ers, so that remains a possibility, too. All he has to do is accept the San Francisco's latest offer — believed to be at least a couple million shy of the $30-million-a-year threshold.

At this point, Aiyuk and the 49ers have some options.

And it appears more likely than ever that the 49ers are willing to make a trade. It might be up to Aiyuk to determine the next move.

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