The New England Patriots were reportedly one of five teams ready to fork over a big contract to San Francisco 49ers disgruntled wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
However, there was one hurdle the Patriots failed to clear in their bid for the All-Pro receiver: They couldn’t agree on a deal with the 49ers.
Per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, the Patriots offered a second-round pick ahead of the 2024 NFL draft for Aiyuk. That pick started as the No. 34 overall selection for New England, and the team used it to trade down to No. 37 for rookie wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk.
If the 49ers turned down the No. 34 pick, that means they might have been fishing for a first-rounder for Aiyuk.
The 26-year-old receiver is playing in the final year of his contract and seeking a long-term extension. His services won’t come cheap in a booming receiver market, following a year where he had 75 receptions for a career-high 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns.
The Patriots currently lead the rest of the NFL in available salary cap space. So they’re in a position to pay Aiyuk the money he’s seeking in a new deal.
Their willingness to fork over big money, along with trading a high second-round draft pick, shows aggressiveness on their end to land a major receiving weapon.
Lead personnel executive Eliot Wolf is literally putting the money where his mouth is when he says he wants to “weaponize” the offense.