San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has been the subject of trade rumors since before the 2023 even ended. He will inevitably receive a huge, guaranteed contract that should pay him around $30 million a year. This would vault him into the upper echelon of receivers around the NFL. The 49ers permitted him to seek a trade, and this week, news leaked that the Cleveland Browns had worked out a framework to do just that.
However, trading for a receiver of Aiyuk’s talents won’t come cheap. Cleveland.com Mary Kay Cabot has fanned the flames of Cleveland faithful by suggesting that such a trade would include fan favorite Amari Cooper. Cooper has been embroiled in a contract dispute with the Cleveland Browns of his own, so it seems a natural fit.
But it’s more likely that the Browns want to keep both Cooper and Aiuyk. Here’s why.
Why Brandon Aiyuk and Amari Cooper Are the Perfect Pairing for the Cleveland Browns
First, Brandon Aiyuk and Amari Cooper are very different receivers. It’s tempting to look at their production from a statistical perspective and assume both are quality pass catchers. They are. But that’s too easy.
Cooper excels at running straight-line routes and using his size and vertical leap to out-catch any defensive back unfortunate enough to cover him. He’s fast enough, but not the type who is going to sprint past any defenders regularly. He’s a crafty route runner but not one who will necessarily create that extra step by throwing in a double move.
All of those things that Amari Cooper is not, Brandon Aiyuk is. The best term for him is “sudden”… in that he’s in one place, and “suddenly” he’s somewhere else. To put it another way, if he were a sports car, his zero to 60 time would be among the best in the world. Like Cooper, he creates huge mismatches with opposing defensive backs. But unlike Cooper, he does it by running right by them, either in a straight line or on virtually any other route he’s been given.
But here’s the thing: The Cleveland Browns need both the yin and the yang. The big body who can outwork and catch the ball regardless of who is around him, and the speedy athlete who can run by anyone, anywhere, anytime.
How Aiyuk Fits With the Rest of the Cleveland Browns Receivers
Of course, Amari Cooper isn’t the only existing player in the Cleveland Browns receivers room. Nor would he even be the first big acquisition the team made this offseason. That honor would go to Jerry Jeudy, who was chosen 10 picks before Aiyuk in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft.
Jeudy isn’t a straight-line, physical receiver or a speedster. Rather, he’s a crafty route runner who is quicker than he is fast. He excels at creating space in traffic. His feet and hips allow him to throw a move and get a step on virtually any defensive back he’s up against. That allows him to play out of the slot, a receiver position closer to the middle of the field. That contrasts him with Cooper and Aiyuk, who are best suited on the outside of the formation.
What this means is the Cleveland Browns are potentially one trade away from having an elite trio of receivers, each near the tops of their games.
But Wait… There’s More (Receivers)
Of course, that doesn’t account for tight end David Njoku and wide receiver Elijah Moore, who were the second and third in receiving yards in 2023. Njoku had a breakout year, hauling in 81 balls for 882 yards and six touchdowns, all career highs. If Amari Cooper is the big body on the outside, Njoku is the bigger body in the middle of the field. He’s one of the more physical tight ends in the league and offers a terrific outlet for any quarterback throwing the ball his way (and in 2023, there were many).
The Browns traded for Moore last season with the idea of harnassing his rare athletic abilities in a variety of different ways. Moore played in the slot, in the Z spot (the backside of the formation off the ball), and even, at times, out of the backfield. Though he’s athletic, Moore has struggled with consistency. Much of this can be attributed to how he was used in head coach Kevin Stefanki’s offense. The first half of the season, in particular, it seemed Stefanski’s playcalling was often too clever for its own good. Moore’s gadget ability would best be used more sporadically in 2024. This is a lesson that the entire Browns brass seems to have learned. Especially given their acquisition of Jeudy and pursuit of Aiuyk.
There’s also third-round pick Cedric Tillman. Tillman had a quiet rookie campaign in 2023. However, he has a body type and abilities similar to Cooper’s. He may best be seen as his developmental heir apparent. The team also has David Bell, Michael Woods, James Proche, and 2024 fifth-round speeder Jamari Thrash vying for jobs. Though Moore, Tillman, or others could likely be sent to San Francisco if the Aiyuk deal comes to fruition. Which brings up…
But What Would Brandon Aiyuk Cost the Cleveland Browns?
The Cleveland Browns aren’t exactly swimming in salary cap space. This is why the Cooper rumor has the legs it does. But they’ve also just finished paying off the Houston Texans for the somewhat dubious investment in quarterback Deshaun Watson. Without Cooper or another big name in the trade, Cleveland would likely be shipping another mess of picks to the West Coast for Brandon Aiyuk.
This is likely the path that General Manager Andrew Berry would prefer. The Cleveland Browns have a rapidly closing window to make their championship run. They’ve been pushing the salaries of their big names into the future for years to pay for the additional acquisitions of today. The time is coming – soon – when they will have to pay the piper for those decisions.
But in the meantime, Brandon Aiyuk would make the odds of Cleveland making that championship run all the shorter.
Main Photo: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
