Reported Brandon Aiyuk trade offers should have 49ers favoring specific team

After an offseason full of drama, the Brandon Aiyuk saga appears to finally be nearing a conclusion (we can only hope). The San Francisco 49ers are reportedly ready to listen to trade offers for Aiyuk and have given the star receiver permission to negotiate extensions with other teams according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. An extension with the Niners can't be fully ruled out, but it certainly feels unlikely.

The latest report from Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area says that the Niners have a framework for Aiyuk trades in place with the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots. That would mean that teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Commanders who were rumored Aiyuk suitors are no longer in the race.

Regardless of whether the Niners do a deal with the Browns or Patriots, they'll be acquiring a receiver in return to take Aiyuk's spot. Maiocco reports that the Patriots would be giving up Kendrick Bourne in the deal, while ESPN's Jeff Darlington revealed on "Get Up" that the Browns would part with Amari Cooper in an Aiyuk trade.

Extensions with Aiyuk would have to be reached, but if the Niners got to pick between the Browns and Patriots, the choice is abundantly clear. They should take Cooper and whatever else they can from Cleveland and run.

The choice is clear for 49ers if reported trade offers are accurate

Losing Aiyuk, a player who just racked up over 1,300 receiving yards last season and could easily be considered a top 10 wide receiver in the NFL is a major blow for a Niners team trying to win the Super Bowl. If they do end up trading him, they should be targeting the best receiver possible to offset the loss. When it comes to Cooper or Bourne, Cooper is the far superior option.

His production has run a bit under the radar since being traded to Cleveland ahead of the 2022 campaign, but he has put up back-to-back 1,100-yard seasons. He had 72 receptions for 1,250 yards in 2023 with five receiving touchdowns despite lackluster quarterback play and despite only playing in 15 games. He might be 30 years old and have some annoying void years in his contract, but he's still a really good receiver.

Kendrick Bourne, on the other hand, is not Cooper. He set or tied career highs in 2021 with 55 receptions, 800 receiving yards, and five touchdowns. Cooper's only season in which he had fewer than 55 receptions came back in 2017. That was also the only season of his nine-year career in which he had fewer than 800 yards in the air. He has never caught fewer than five touchdowns.

The Niners might get more in terms of draft pick compensation in a Bourne deal as opposed to Cooper, but let's not forget what the ultimate goal here is. The Niners are trying to win the Super Bowl. If they accomplish that, who cares about a slightly better future draft pick?

The bottom line here is while neither of these receivers are Aiyuk, Cooper is the closest. In fact, Cooper wasn't that much worse than Aiyuk last season. His age isn't ideal, but this is a win-now team. If Aiyuk is willing to sign an extension in Cleveland, the Niners need to go down that path if they're serious about competing in 2024.