{"id":178226,"date":"2024-06-18T15:55:28","date_gmt":"2024-06-18T19:55:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=178226"},"modified":"2024-06-18T15:57:37","modified_gmt":"2024-06-18T19:57:37","slug":"bills-brandon-aiyuk-trade-49ers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2024\/06\/18\/bills-brandon-aiyuk-trade-49ers\/","title":{"rendered":"Should Bills Target Brandon Aiyuk Trade With 49ers?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2024\/06\/13\/49ers-contract-offer-trade\/\" target=\"_self\">Brandon Aiyuk<\/a> reignited rumors about his future Monday with a post on TikTok saying the San Francisco 49ers &#8220;don&#8217;t want me back.&#8221; The Buffalo Bills remain linked to the situation as their hunt for a No. 1 wide receiver continues to generate headlines.<\/p>\n<p>Aiyuk made the comments during a conversation with <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/category\/nfl-teams\/washington-commanders\/\" target=\"_self\">Washington Commanders<\/a> quarterback <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2024\/01\/11\/jayden-daniels-2024-nfl-draft-profile-team-fits\/\" target=\"_self\">Jayden Daniels<\/a>, his former college teammate at Arizona State.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/49ers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#49ers<\/a> WR Brandon Aiyuk to Jayden Daniels, via his TikTok: <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey said they don\u2019t want me back\u2026 I swear.\u201d<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/2ln0dX2KGQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/2ln0dX2KGQ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MySportsUpdate\/status\/1802733460328448466?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">June 17, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The 2023 Second Team All-Pro selection is under <a href=\"https:\/\/overthecap.com\/player\/brandon-aiyuk\/8765\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">contract<\/a> for 2024 with the Niners, who exercised the fifth-year option in his rookie deal. He skipped mandatory minicamp earlier this month as part of his effort to land a long-term extension, though.<\/p>\n<h2>Bills Aiming for Aiyuk Blockbuster With 49ers?<\/h2>\n<h3>Why The Idea Makes Sense<\/h3>\n<p>The Bills don&#8217;t feature a proven No. 1 target on their <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2024\/06\/01\/2024-buffalo-bills-53-man-roster-projection-june-otas-minicamp\/\" target=\"_self\">current roster<\/a>. As it stands, they&#8217;re set to enter the campaign with <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2024\/06\/01\/khalil-shakir-drops-clues-2024-buffalo-bills-offense\/\" target=\"_self\">Khalil Shakir<\/a>, Curtis Samuel, and rookie <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2024\/01\/01\/2024-nfl-draft-scouting-report-keon-coleman\/\" target=\"_self\">Keon Coleman<\/a> as their top three receivers with Marquez Valdes-Scantling and <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2024\/06\/11\/must-watch-players-2024-buffalo-bills-mandatory-minicamp\/\" target=\"_self\">Chase Claypool<\/a> providing depth.<\/p>\n<p>Shakir was terrific during the latter stages of the 2023 season, which is a major reason Buffalo moved on from the high-priced duo of <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2024\/06\/07\/stefon-diggs-josh-allen-trade-bills-texans\/\" target=\"_self\">Stefon Diggs<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/category\/nfl-teams\/texans\/\" target=\"_self\">Houston Texans<\/a>) and <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2024\/03\/11\/report-gabriel-davis-signs-contract-with-jacksonville-jaguars\/\" target=\"_self\">Gabe Davis<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/category\/nfl-teams\/jaguars\/\" target=\"_self\">Jacksonville Jaguars<\/a>) in the offseason. It&#8217;s far too soon to know whether he can be a No. 1 receiver.<\/p>\n<p>Coleman, who was selected at No. 33 overall in this year&#8217;s draft, has the physical tools (6&#8217;4&#8221;, 215 pounds) to become a game-changer but his lack of elite speed creates uncertainty about his maximum potential.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The last portion of Bills minicamp we could shoot. Allen to Coleman <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/6bRluPbKv9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/6bRluPbKv9<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Josh Reed (@4JoshReed) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/4JoshReed\/status\/1801289137820983458?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">June 13, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Samuel has always produced well as a complementary weapon during his seven NFL seasons, but his career high in receiving yards in 851.<\/p>\n<p>So the question is whether the Bills are comfortable playing a season of quarterback Josh Allen&#8217;s prime with those three wideouts and tight end <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2024\/04\/03\/dalton-kincaid-fantasy-football-outlook-stefon-diggs-trade\/\" target=\"_self\">Dalton Kincaid<\/a> as the top four targets.<\/p>\n<p>Aiyuk would instantly transform the offense. The emerging superstar compiled 153 catches for 2,357 yards and 15 touchdowns over the past two seasons in San Francisco. He was <a href=\"https:\/\/espnanalytics.com\/rtm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ESPN Analytics<\/a>&#8216; top-rated wide receiver in 2023 (96 overall rating). He also earned a strong 92.3 grade from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pff.com\/nfl\/players\/brandon-aiyuk\/84109\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Pro Football Focus<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The 26-year-old California native would give Allen the go-to receiver he&#8217;s currently lacking, and his arrival would vault the Bills right back toward the forefront of the Super Bowl conversation.<\/p>\n<p>A pass-catching group headlined by Aiyuk, Shakir, Coleman, and Kincaid would be among the NFL&#8217;s best.<\/p>\n<h3>Why The Idea Doesn&#8217;t Make Sense<\/h3>\n<p>Money. Sometimes it&#8217;s that simple. The Bills have limited financial flexibility this season. Signing Aiyuk to a monster extension would eliminate much of their wiggle room for next year, too. It&#8217;s unclear whether general manager Brandon Beane is willing to make that type of move right now.<\/p>\n<p>Buffalo owns $10.1 million in salary-cap space, per <a href=\"https:\/\/overthecap.com\/salary-cap-space\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Over The Cap<\/a>. The receiver&#8217;s 2024 cap hit stands at $14.1 million. So Beane would have to create room to get him on the roster. The GM is also going to need money throughout the season to sign injury replacements.<\/p>\n<p>The Bills do hold one final card to play to free up significant money: <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2024\/05\/22\/bills-may-release-miller\/\" target=\"_self\">Von Miller<\/a>. It&#8217;s a &#8220;break in case of emergency&#8221; type of situation.<\/p>\n<p>Miller is coming off a dreadful 2023 season in his return from a torn ACL. He was one of the NFL&#8217;s worst players, tallying just three total tackles and no sacks in 12 games.<\/p>\n<p>His release wouldn&#8217;t save much money in 2024 ($280,000), so Beane would have work to do in that regard. It does free up $17.5 million in 2025, $20 million in 2026 and $30 million in 2027, according to OTC. So there&#8217;s a lot of the cash for an Aiyuk extension.<\/p>\n<p>The Bills seem intent on giving Miller a shot at a bounce-back season, however, and the cap picture is far more restrictive for as long as he&#8217;s on the roster.<\/p>\n<h3>Final Thoughts On Aiyuk-To-Buffalo Concept<\/h3>\n<p>Aiyuk would be a perfect fit for the Bills in an NFL world without a salary cap. His route-running mastery could instantly fill the void left by Diggs in the Buffalo offense.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Brandon Aiyuk = route running aficionado \ud83d\udd25 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/LZwG14PgBA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/LZwG14PgBA<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; NFL (@NFL) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NFL\/status\/1795938173442224266?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">May 29, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Alas, the NFL has a cap, which makes a blockbuster between the Bills and the 49ers a long shot. Beane has worked hard throughout the offseason to give himself more financial freedom for 2025. It&#8217;s unlikely he&#8217;ll want to hamper that with one trade considerably.<\/p>\n<p>While Buffalo&#8217;s receiver room isn&#8217;t as star-studded as it was in previous years, it&#8217;s going to have far more variety this season. So, even without the benefit of a true No. 1 wideout, the unit may improve after getting stagnant at times with the Diggs-Davis tandem.<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps the Aiyuk situation is one the Bills revisit next offseason if he remains without an extension from the Niners.<\/p>\n<p>Main Photo: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Brandon Aiyuk and the 49ers are struggling to reach terms on a long-term contract. Will the Bills attempt a blockbuster trade for the WR?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5175,"featured_media":178297,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[36,3,31],"tags":[6254,7705,7325],"class_list":["post-178226","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl-news","category-bills","category-49ers","tag-brandon-aiyuk","tag-buffalo-bills-news","tag-san-francisco-49ers-news"],"modified_by":"Will Koshover, Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/178226","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5175"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=178226"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/178226\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/178297"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=178226"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=178226"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=178226"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}