Cowboys Close To Re-Signing Ezekiel Elliott?

April 26th, 2024 at 4:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

4:45pm: A deal with Elliott remains “increasingly imminent” at this point, something which would remain the case even with Brooks or another rookie being selected tonight, per Moore’s colleague Michael Gehlken. It will be interesting to see if further progress on a Dallas agreement produces a response from the other interested party Jones mentioned, or if a reunion officially comes together in the near future.

12:21pm: The Cowboys separated from Ezekiel Elliott‘s six-year, $90MM extension in 2023, but a reality in which the running back is tied to two Dallas contracts on this year’s payroll appears firmly in play.

Rumblings about an Elliott-Cowboys reunion have surfaced at multiple points this offseason, and the team met with the two-time rushing champion Wednesday. Elliott and his agent met were seen with Cowboys brass at multiple locations Wednesday, and Jerry Jones confirmed (via the Dallas Morning News’ David Moore) team brass “spent a lot of time with Zeke” this week.

Jones also said if (when?) the Cowboys draft a running back Friday night it would not have any bearing on how they approach an Elliott reunion. At least one other known suitor exists, per Jones, but Moore points to this reunion coming to pass. Jones said he thought Elliott played “very well” late last season with the Patriots.

This reunion was believed to be on the radar months after the team made the former star a cap casualty, but Elliott confirmed it did not gain much traction. That is no longer the case. Jones also said the $6MM — stemming from signing bonus proration on Elliott’s 2019 extension — that remains on the team’s payroll will not affect how the team proceeds with Elliott now.

“Not even a consideration,’’ Jones said. “He’s earned that $6 million. We’ve already spent it. You have to pay that whether he’s here or not. It won’t affect one thing with how he would help our team this year.’’

Elliott, 28, played last season on a one-year, $3MM deal. Another suitor being in the mix will likely lead to Elliott commanding more than the league minimum on a Cowboys reunion. While Elliott only averaged 3.5 yards per carry (a career-low number), he was tied to a 4-13 Patriots team that ran into injury issues up front — to say nothing of a woeful passing attack. Elliott started the final five Pats games, due to a Rhamondre Stevenson IR move, producing two 50-plus-yard rushing performances to close a 642-yard season in what amounted to a committee role.

Jones has offered effusive praise for Elliott in the past, even as Tony Pollard overtook him as the most productive Cowboys back. With Pollard in Nashville now, the Cowboys are likely to draft a replacement. Elliott returning would put him in position as a complementary option. Though, Dallas’ RB situation does not feature strong in-house solutions; journeyman Royce Freeman joins 2023 backup Rico Dowdle and sixth-round Deuce Vaughn, who goes 5-foot-6.

Additionally, Jones confirmed (via ESPN.com’s Todd Archer) Texas running back Jonathon Brooks is “high, high, high, high” on the team’s draft board ahead of Day 2. Jones went so far as to call his interview with Brooks the best he has conducted in 30 years. Playing behind Bijan Robinson in 2022, Brooks played well as a junior last season, accumulating 1,139 rushing yards and 10 TDs. Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board slots Brooks as the second-best option — in what is viewed as an unremarkable RB class — despite the ex-Longhorn having suffered a torn ACL last year. With the Cowboys passing on Derrick Henry and others in March, they figure to be prepared to add here soon this weekend.

Giants Sent Patriots Offer For No. 3, Aimed To Land Drake Maye

April 26th, 2024 at 4:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

4:05pm: Providing further details on the Giants’ efforts, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reports New York included its 2025 first-round pick in the final offer for No. 3. The team therefore matched the Vikings in that respect, making it notable New England elected to remain in place in lieu of adding extra Day 1 capital next year.

2:00pm: The pre-draft reporting that pointed to Drake Maye pulling ahead of J.J. McCarthy for the Giants turned out to be accurate. Despite McCarthy being on the board at No. 6, New York passed and went with Malik Nabers.

As the LSU-developed wideout becomes (by far) the highest-ceiling receiver paired with Daniel Jones, it looks like the Giants will give the long-scrutinized starter yet another shot. Passing on McCarthy, Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix, the Giants remain a Jones-centric operation. That would not have been the case had they been able to pry No. 3 overall from the Patriots.

The Giants made a last-ditch attempt to climb from No. 6 to No. 3 for Maye, with the New York Daily News’ Pat Leonard noting the NFC East team made a final offer while New England was on the clock. After de facto Patriots GM Eliot Wolf said the team was open to dealing No. 3, rumors surfaced pointing to the likelihood the rebuilding club would keep the pick. Hours before the draft, another report had the Patriots locked into Maye. The two-year North Carolina starter is now the Pats’ hope to start the Jerod Mayo era.

New England’s asking price was expected to be “exorbitant,” according to the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz. Before the draft, a rumor indicated the Pats had received “laughable” offers for the No. 3 pick. It is unsurprising the Patriots set a high price here, as they had access to a coveted QB — thanks to their 4-13 record last season — without needing to trade up. They will hope the 6-foot-4 prospect can deliver what Mac Jones could not.

The New York end of this is more interesting, given the team’s Jones investment and Nabers choice. It appears clear the Giants — once closely linked to McCarthy — viewed a value gap between Maye and the Michigan alum. This also illustrates the last-chance season ahead for Jones, who did not impress — albeit while leading an injury-plagued offense — before going down with an ACL tear last year. The Giants can get out of the $40MM-AAV Jones deal for less than $12MM in dead money (via a post-June 1 cut transaction) in 2025, setting up a make-or-break season for the former No. 6 pick. Jones came through when last in this circumstance (in 2022), and the Giants’ Nabers move will better equip their QB this season.

Next year’s QB class is not viewed as on the level of this one, perhaps illustrating why the Giants made an aggressive push for Maye, whom the Vikings also pursued. McCarthy’s progress could haunt the Giants, but they will bet on their Nabers evaluation and hope it elevates Jones.

Colts Attempted To Move Up In First Round

April 26th, 2024 at 3:36pm CST by Adam La Rose

In the build-up to last night’s opening round of the draft, the Colts were one of several teams mentioned as a suitor regarding a move up the order. Adding a receiver or highly-touted tight end Brock Bowers was a reported goal, but the team ultimately wound up focusing on the opposite of the ball.

After an historic start to the draft with 14 straight offensive players coming off the board, Indianapolis selected UCLA edge rusher Laiatu Latu. That decision came after a concerted effort was made to trade up, however. General manager Chris Ballard spoke on that front following the first round’s conclusion.

“We had some serious, serious discussions,” Ballard said (via Joel A. Erickson of the Indy Star). “With big offers, by the way.”

Fox59’s Mike Chappell notes, meanwhile, that a Colts move up the order would have likely been aimed at acquiring LSU wideout Malik Nabers. Indianapolis was known to be high on Marvin Harrison Jr., but a trade putting the team in range for either pass-catcher would have come at a high price. To little surprise, Harrison was selected fourth overall by the Cardinals, while Nabers went two picks later to the Giants.

With respect to the Latu selection, that came as a surprise to many. Part of the reason that is the case is the fact Indianapolis did not meet in person with the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, as noted by ESPN’s Stephen Holder. Latu’s medicals (stemming from a neck surgery which threatened his future ability to play football) made him one of the more polarizing prospects in the 2024 class. Teams often spend considerable time speaking with players with such potential concerns, but the Colts were comfortable using their top pick absent in-person discussions in this case.

Indianapolis was not the only team keen on selecting Latu. Steve Wyche of NFL Network reports the Falcons attempted to trade back into the first-round order and in doing so add the former Bruins sack artist (video link). Atlanta provided the largest surprise of the night by selecting Michael Penix Jr. eighth overall, but adding Latu would have addressed the team’s more immediate roster hole along the edge. Instead, the Colts remained in place at No. 15 and added a high-upside presence in their front seven.

Rams’ Matthew Stafford Seeking Post-2024 Guarantees

April 26th, 2024 at 2:49pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Rams made their first Day 1 draft choice of the Sean McVay era last night, but their selection (edge rusher Jared Verse) did not produce a potential Matthew Stafford successor. The latter is in place as Los Angeles’ starting quarterback for the time being, though he is seeking an adjustment to his contract.

Specifically, Stafford is aiming to secure more guaranteed money beyond the coming season, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports. The 36-year-old is due a $31MM base salary in 2024, all of which is guaranteed. Two years remain on the deal beyond that, but Stafford’s salaries in 2025 ($27MM) and ’26 ($26MM) are not locked in.

Stafford (who has attended the team’s offseason program) inked a $160MM extension in the 2022 offseason, one during which fellow franchise pillars Aaron Donald and Cooper Kupp landed raises. One year later, though, the Rams attempted to find a trade partner for Stafford prior to making a near-$60MM commitment for the 2023 season. This past campaign brought about a new round of questions about the two-time Pro Bowler’s future, but McVay has confirmed Stafford will serve as the team’s starter for 2024.

Los Angeles brought in a veteran backup (Jimmy Garoppolo) to occupy the QB2 role, and 2023 draftee Stetson Bennett remains in the organization. The latter could represent an eventual Stafford replacement, especially if injuries become an issue in 2024. Stafford was limited to nine contests in 2023 due to an elbow issue, and he missed a pair of contests last season.

As things stand, the former Lion is due a $5MM roster bonus in mid-March of 2025 and ’26. His cap hits for those campaigns – as well as the coming one – range between $49.5MM and $50.5MM, so a new agreement could be aimed at lowering those figures in addition to providing Stafford security beyond his fourth Rams season. He rebounded from the injury-plagued campaign one year prior in 2023, throwing for 3,965 yards and 26 combined regular and postseason touchdowns.

Still, the Rams have been linked to a quarterback addition at some point during this year’s draft, and a selection relatively early on Day 2 could indicate a willingness to keep Stafford’s contract intact as currently constructed. It will be interesting to see how the team proceeds on this front as the Rams prepare for at least one more season committed to the veteran.

Panthers To Pick Up CB Jaycee Horn’s Fifth-Year Option

April 26th, 2024 at 1:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

Injuries have marred Jaycee Horn‘s NFL career, and coaching instability has led to five HCs stopping through during the cornerback’s Charlotte run. This staff is still high on the 2021 top-10 pick.

Despite the health issues that have plagued Horn, he is set to see more guaranteed money. The Panthers are picking up Horn’s fifth-year option, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Horn will be tied to the lowest rung on the option ladder; for corners, that number checks in at $12.47MM.

Horn’s option number comes in more than $8MM south of Patrick Surtain‘s. The Broncos chose Surtain one pick later in 2021 and have seen him soar to two Pro Bowls. The Panthers will benefit from Horn being tied to a lower 2025 guarantee, but they have yet to see him justify the Scott Fitterer-Matt Rhule investment. Current GM Dan Morgan did not rejoin the Panthers until after Horn was selected, making it interesting he will pull the trigger on the option for an injury-plagued talent.

Missing 29 games over his three-year Charlotte run, Horn has shown promise when available. Had Horn logged enough defensive snaps to qualify as a regular last season, Pro Football Focus would have ranked him sixth overall among corners. He ranked as a top-30 player by that measurement in 2022, a 13-game campaign. Horn missed 14 games as a rookie due to a broken foot and was shut down for 10 last year because of a hamstring injury.

The Panthers dealt away Donte Jackson from their CB cadre and signed ex-Bills starter Dane Jackson. Horn, however, remains that crew’s centerpiece performer. DC Ejiro Evero will count on Horn staying healthy this year, and Friday’s commitment reflects the Panthers believe the 6-foot-1 cover man is not a sunk cost. This gives the team two more seasons to evaluate Horn, who intercepted three passes in 2022. Horn also secures another eight-figure guarantee despite his bad luck on the health front thus far as a pro.

Bills Interested In Deebo Samuel; WR More Likely To Be Dealt Than Brandon Aiyuk?

April 26th, 2024 at 12:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

Passing on a chance to upgrade their receiving corps late in the first round, the Bills have received some attention for being part of trades that allowed the Chiefs and Panthers to made wideout investments. The Bills may have a bigger name in mind.

Buffalo joins New England in being interested in Deebo Samuel, according to the Boston Sports Journal’s Mike Giardi. The Bills are in dire need at the position, having traded Stefon Diggs and having let Gabriel Davis walk (to the Jaguars) in free agency. Samuel appears a live candidate to be moved, even as Brandon Aiyuk trade talks took place Thursday night.

Samuel was also part of that pre-draft report, and Giardi adds it is now more likely the 49ers move the versatile playmaker than Aiyuk. This would make sense given Aiyuk’s age and superior durability; the 2020 first-round pick is two years younger than Samuel, who turned 28 earlier this offseason. But Samuel is tied to a $23.85MM-per-year contract that runs through 2025. Aiyuk is on a fifth-year option, and an acquiring team would likely need to prepare an extension.

The Patriots discussed Samuel with the 49ers on Thursday, but the team held onto both its wideouts. John Lynch said post-draft a trade should not be ruled out. The 49ers are believed to have asked for a mid-first-round pick for Aiyuk; nothing beyond a second-rounder came back in an offer. It is possible the team is now pivoting to a Samuel trade push, which comes two years after rumblings of a deal impacted the 49ers’ 2022 draft. The 49ers hung onto Samuel then, despite two notable offers (from the Jets and Lions), and extended him. As Aiyuk has proven worthy of a big-ticket extension, the team has a decision to make.

As the 49ers — with a Brock Purdy extension on the horizon — contemplate how to handle their increasingly complex WR situation, the Bills need impact players. In an AFC arms race that has seen the Chiefs separate over the past two years — despite Buffalo’s regular-season success at Arrowhead Stadium — the Bills have watched the Chiefs add Marquise Brown and first-rounder Xavier Worthy to their wideout group. The Bills dealt Diggs to the Texans. With Davis’ second contract coming from the Jags, the Bills are down to the likes of Khalil Shakir and UFA pickup Curtis Samuel. Samuel has proven to be in a much higher class.

Still, it will be interesting to see if the 49ers — given where their contention arc resides — bail on the Samuel-Aiyuk pairing a year before they have to. The team would have the option of franchise-tagging Aiyuk in 2025, though Samuel, George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey will be in contract years by then. Rather than unloading Aiyuk now or contemplating a tag-and-trade transaction in an effort to keep the band together for one more season, the 49ers — who drafted Florida wideout Ricky Pearsall at No. 31 — are clearly exploring compensation options for a WR now.

The Bills hold the No. 33 overall pick, while the Patriots sit at No. 34. Buffalo also has its own second-rounder (No. 60). A second-rounder emerged as the prize in the Diggs trade; Samuel is more than two years younger. While Samuel earned All-Pro acclaim in 2021, he has one 1,000-yard season on his resume. The electric run-after-catch performer missed nine games in 2020, four in 2022 and two due to injury (leaving two more contests early) last year. Will the 49ers end up making a preemptive strike tonight?

Steelers View Troy Fautanu As Tackle; Team Eyeing James Daniels Extension?

April 26th, 2024 at 11:53am CST by Sam Robinson

Bringing in 11 offensive linemen on “30” visits, the Steelers did not mask their intentions in the first round. They ended up capitalizing on this tackle-rich draft class, selecting Washington’s Troy Fautanu at No. 20 overall.

Fautanu is the second straight tackle the Steelers have chosen in Round 1, as the team traded up for Broderick Jones (No. 14 overall) last year. Some teams viewed Fautanu as a player who will be a better guard, but Mike Tomlin said (via ESPN.com’s Brooke Pryor) the Steelers view their most recent addition as a player who can stick at tackle.

Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board slotted Fautanu 11th, and while some clubs envisioned the Washington alum as a player who will need to move inside, the longtime draft analyst does not. Some NFL personnel agree with this viewpoint; it would appear the Steelers are in this camp. This positions Fautanu as a player who will join Jones and Dan Moore at tackle. Moore is in a contract year, and the three-year starter appears set to be out of Pittsburgh by 2025 (at the latest) as a result of this pick.

The Steelers are believed to be ready to slide Jones from right to left tackle, his primary college position. This would open up the right side for Fautanu, who spent most of his college career at left tackle (with a few guard starts mixed in). If Jones moves over, the Steelers will be asking a left tackle — either Jones or Fautanu — to shift positions. The Steelers view Fautanu, despite his arrival six spots after where Jones was chosen last year, as a better prospect compared to the Georgia alum, The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly notes (subscription required). Trade options presented themselves for the Steelers, but they stood down due to the value they believed Fautanu can provide.

Fautanu figures to complement Pittsburgh’s guard tandem (James Daniels, Isaac Seumalo) rather than threaten one of the starters’ jobs, and Kaboly goes a step further by noting the team is likely to come to an extension agreement with Daniels before Week 1. Daniels is going into the final season of a three-year, $26.5MM deal.

Despite going into his seventh NFL season, Daniels will not turn 27 until September. The former Bears second-rounder would profile as a player who has several prime years remaining, making him a good candidate for a lucrative third contract. Pro Football Focus rated the Iowa alum 33rd among guards last season and 24th in his Steelers debut. Daniels has played both guard and center as a pro, though a Bears effort to install him at center did not last beyond the 2019 season. He has operated as the Steelers’ right guard for the past two seasons.

The Steelers have both Daniels and Semualo signed to deals south of $10MM per year; a Daniels extension would probably change that. With the Steelers having both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields on low-cost deals, more flexibility to spend exists. With two rookie-contract tackles in place (and no starter-caliber center on the roster as of yet), Daniels may be set to benefit soon. The Steelers do not negotiate extensions in-season, so Week 1 would double as a deadline for the team and the contract-year RG.

Kirk Cousins ‘Stunned’ By Falcons’ Decision To Draft Michael Penix Jr.

April 26th, 2024 at 11:08am CST by Sam Robinson

Upon signing Kirk Cousins, the Falcons informed him they were planning to take a quarterback in the later rounds. Just before the team decided to shift course, the high-priced free agency pickup received a rather important phone call.

The Falcons did inform their $45MM-per-year quarterback they were planning to use the No. 8 overall pick on Michael Penix Jr. They did so upon going on the clock. But the longtime Vikings starter is believed to have been stunned by his new team’s decision, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports.

As should be expected, Cousins is concerned this pick does not help the Falcons for the 2024 season, according to Russini (subscription required). Viewed at points as a potential late-first-round prospect, Penix did become connected to the Falcons early this week. But the team’s decision to follow up the Cousins contract — which includes a $100MM practical guarantee, one that ties the 35-year-old passer to Atlanta through 2026 — by selecting the recent national championship game starter was easily the most surprising first-round move.

“He got called on the clock, obviously because of the sensitive time with the issues of what you got going on,” Falcons HC Raheem Morris said of the team’s decision to notify Cousins. “It’s never a right time to talk to a quarterback about those things. And reactions are always going to be private when it comes to those things, unless Kirk decides to tell you some of those things that are whatever they may be. But he’s a competitor, just like us all. And you can always expect those things to go just like you kind of think.”

It is not unusual for teams to follow up free agency acquisitions with first-round QB picks, but those moves generally come after a team added a bridge-type passer on the market. Cousins is not that, and an unusual setup is now in place in which Penix learns on the job — potentially for multiple seasons. The Packers are the only team in the fifth-year option era to park a first-round passer for multiple years, but Jordan Love arrived as a No. 26 overall pick. With Penix going eighth, this marks new territory for QB commitment.

Atlanta’s No. 8 draft slot played a key role in the team’s logic here, as Morris said the team views it as unlikely — based largely on Cousins’ status — it will be picking in the top 10 again anytime soon. This is a common refrain among teams, though the Falcons have held a top-10 pick in each of Terry Fontenot‘s four offseasons as GM. Their odds to win the NFC South did improve after Cousins’ arrival, but Penix will probably not move the needle for 2024.

“Kirk Cousins our quarterback. We are very excited about Kirk and this team,” Fontenot said, via The Athletic’s Josh Kendall. “We’re very excited about that quarterback room. Kirk is our quarterback. Adding Michael Penix is thinking about the future.”

The Falcons were confident in last season’s Division I-FBS passing leader throughout the pre-draft process, per ESPN.com’s Pete Thamel, who adds the team sent an eight-man contingent — which included Morris, GM Terry Fontenot and OC Zac Robinson — to Seattle to meet with the standout southpaw.

Penix did not take a “30” visit to Atlanta, Russini adds, though the sides had scheduled a meeting in March. While it is less common for a team to make this sort of investment without going through with a visit, that move could have tripped alarms around the league. That said, Penix was highly unlikely to be chosen before the Falcons went on the clock at 8 regardless of his visit schedule.

Coaches were viewed as generally higher than scouts on Penix, with some mechanical issues impacting thet deep-ball maven’s stock. He should have plenty of time to iron those out. Sean Payton said Thursday night he believed the Raiders were targeting Penix, and they had been linked to the Washington prospect. But their plans may well have changed when the Falcons doubled down at the game’s premier position.

Expected to devote the No. 8 choice to defense, the Falcons will be tasked with addressing that side of the ball beginning tonight. Not using No. 8 overall to help a Cousins-led team does create an uphill battle on the roster-building front. Their timeline with Cousins will be fascinating now, as the team will not stand to benefit much from Penix’s rookie contract thanks to the Cousins commitment. The Falcons gave Cousins a no-trade clause, according to OverTheCap’s Jason Fitzgerald, who adds it would cost $35MM for Atlanta to cut ties with the veteran in 2026.

The Packers did not benefit much from Love’s rookie deal, stashing him behind Aaron Rodgers — which created a few headlines during the four-time MVP’s final Green Bay years — for three seasons. That blueprint also involved the Pack trading up for a 21-year-old QB; Penix will turn 24 in May. Green Bay is the only team to execute an extended-runway plan at QB since the 2011 CBA reshaped roster building; it will be interesting to see how the Falcons’ Cousins-Penix effort goes.

Patriots, 49ers Discussed Deebo Samuel

April 26th, 2024 at 9:52am CST by Sam Robinson

The 49ers may have gone deeper in trade talks involving Brandon Aiyuk, but Deebo Samuel‘s name emerged as available Thursday night as well. Potentially aiming to split up their long-running wide receiver tandem as costs on their offense escalate, the 49ers took calls on their starters.

While the Jaguars are a team known to have asked about Aiyuk, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson reports the Patriots engaged in discussions with the 49ers about Samuel. New England carries a WR need going into Day 2 of the draft, having missed out on Calvin Ridley in free agency.

Pats-49ers Samuel talks can be classified as preliminary, Anderson notes, and it is unclear what the team sought for the All-Pro weapon. The 49ers wanted a mid-first-round pick for Aiyuk, who is two years younger than his teammate. Aiyuk also profiles as a player an acquiring team would extend; Samuel is tied to a $23.85MM-per-year deal that suddenly looks team-friendlier based on the contracts given to Amon-Ra St. Brown and A.J. Brown this week. Samuel’s 2022 extension runs through 2025.

A mid-April report indicated the 49ers were rebuffing Aiyuk trade inquiries, and an anonymous GM said if Samuel would be the player to instead depart, the defending NFC champs probably would have done so by now. Samuel, 28, is tied to base salaries of $20.9MM and $16.7MM through the ’25 season.

Aiyuk led the 49ers in receiving by a wide margin last season, but the team’s fortunes changed based on Samuel’s availability. The team went 0-3 in games of consequence (not counting Week 18) Samuel did not finish during the regular season and clawed its way to a comeback win over the Packers after Samuel left the divisional-round matchup with a shoulder malady. Aiyuk also has two 1,000-yard receiving seasons to Samuel’s one, though the latter has proven valuable in the run game as well.

The 2019 second-round pick has shown himself to be one of this era’s best run-after-catch players, though it would be interesting to see if the 49ers dangled him in deals — rather than the 26-year-old Aiyuk, who has been a more durable player as a pro — moving forward. San Francisco’s equation stands to change next year, with a Brock Purdy extension on the radar. This season may mark the end of the line for the Samuel-Aiyuk tandem, which has been in place since the latter came to the Bay Area as a 2020 first-rounder. The 49ers have since used another first-round pick on a wideout — ex-Aiyuk college teammate Ricky Pearsall.

The Patriots re-signed ex-49er Kendrick Bourne, despite his 2023 ACL tear, this offseason and added ex-Vikings slot K.J. Osborn. The team still appears to have a glaring need for a high-end wideout to pair with Drake Maye. The team’s JuJu Smith-Schuster deal did not pan out, and it submitted an offer Robert Kraft viewed as competitive with the Titans’ for Ridley, who signed a four-year, $96MM deal. De facto GM Eliot Wolf, however, said Tennessee’s proposal indeed outflanked New England’s. The Pats will go into tonight’s second round with clear needs at receiver and left tackle around their new prized QB investment.

49ers Sought Mid-First-Round Pick For WR Brandon Aiyuk

April 26th, 2024 at 9:27am CST by Sam Robinson

The first round’s penultimate pick added more intrigue to the trade drama between the 49ers and Brandon Aiyuk. The defending NFC champions selected Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall at No. 31, bringing in a rookie-contract receiver — albeit one that did not receive much buzz as a Round 1 option — hours after a report surfaced indicating the team held talks involving Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel.

No trade materialized, and the 49ers’ ask calls into question how viable a move will be after Round 1’s conclusion. The 49ers targeted a mid-first-round pick for Aiyuk, The Athletic’s Matt Barrows tweets. Aiyuk has not requested a trade, but extension talks between he and the 49ers have not progressed, which remind of the team’s drama with Samuel two years ago.

Aiyuk is seeking a deal worth at least $25MM per year, according to the San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch; following the $30MM-plus agreements for A.J. Brown and Amon-Ra St. Brown, it would not surprise if his price has climbed this week.

The best tradeoffer to emerge included a second-round pick, Barrows adds. A 2022 Jets offer for Samuel included the No. 10 overall pick, though that was not a straight-up offer — as it included pick swaps — but Aiyuk remains a 49er after Thursday night brought another chapter to this saga. Aiyuk even congratulated GM John Lynch (via text) on choosing Pearsall, whom he played with at Arizona State back in 2019.

“You never close the door on a trade,” Lynch said, via Branch. “You always listen. And we have. But we like our group as it stands.”

The Jaguars were among the teams to inquire about Aiyuk, Barrows adds. Jacksonville ended up with LSU’s Brian Thomas Jr. after trading down (via Minnesota), taking one suitor off the board. The Steelers, who chose an O-lineman in Round 1, also inquired about Aiyuk before the draft. Another team that held a mid-first-round pick discussed swapping choices in an Aiyuk deal, per Barrows, but no offer emerged. It should be difficult for the 49ers to pull off a deal involving Day 2 picks, ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner offers, though it perhaps should not be deemed impossible.

It is possible Pearsall profiles as a player who will eventually — perhaps as soon as 2025 — replace either Aiyuk or Samuel. The 49ers have Aiyuk tied to a fifth-year option worth $14.12MM. Lynch said before the draft he would not anticipate an Aiyuk trade, and while the eighth-year GM has spoken of the financial difficulties in play here, the team could opt to keep Aiyuk on the option and reassess this situation in 2025 — perhaps via a tag-and-trade scenario.

Pearsall joins Aiyuk, Samuel and Jauan Jennings as San Francisco’s top WR. The Arizona State and Florida product’s rookie deal will run through 2028, via the fifth-year option. With Brock Purdy extension-eligible in 2025, the 49ers may need to make an Aiyuk-or-Samuel choice, as the contracts of George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey expire in 2026.

Aiyuk, 26, still profiles as a player the 49ers will need if they want to navigate that elusive Super Bowl hurdle; it will be interesting to see if more trade talks emerge on Day 2 or following the draft, as a post-draft extension — along the lines of how the Samuel saga ended in 2022 — may not be in the cards based on the Pearsall pick.

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