San Francisco 49ers News & Rumors

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.

49ers Select WR Ricky Pearsall At No. 31

April 25th, 2024 at 10:46pm CST by Ben Levine

With Brandon Aiyuk trade speculation swirling, the 49ers have certainly raised some eyebrows with their selection at No. 31. With the second-to-last pick of the first round, the 49ers haves selected wide receiver Florida WR Ricky Pearsall.

Following a breakout campaign at Arizona State in 2021, Pearsall transferred to Florida in 2022. After putting up similar numbers during his first season with the Gators, the wideout took a major step forward in 2023. Pearsall finished this past season with 65 catches for 965 yards and four touchdowns, putting him firmly on the NFL map.

Pearsall was one of the more rapid risers in recent weeks. The Florida product saw his stock rise from probable Day 2 pick to surefire Day 2 pick to late first-round selection. With five WRs already being selected this evening, the 49ers didn’t want to press their luck and ended up opting for the wide receiver a bit higher than projections suggested.

With Aiyuk seeking a lucrative extension, the 49ers have continually stated that they wanted to retain the former first-round pick. However, reports from yesterday suggested that the front office was discussing the wide receiver (along with teammate Deebo Samuel) in trades.

While Aiyuk remains on San Francisco’s roster at the moment, the Pearsall pick will only add fuel to the fire. With the first round having passed, a window for the 49ers to unload Aiyuk or Samuel closed. It will be interesting to see if the team would accept Day 2 compensation for one of its standout wide receivers. With the Bengals not expected to trade Tee Higgins — his request notwithstanding — attention could be focused on Aiyuk. Then again, the 49ers have relied on their WR duo to help Brock Purdy. This Pearsall move could potentially be a bridge to the Samuel-Aiyuk duo separating in 2025.

The 49ers could extend Aiyuk and push their cap predicament to 2025, so Pearsall might not immediately step into a major role. Still, the rookie should be the clear-cut WR3 if both Deebo and Aiyuk stick around, with Jauan Jennings and Ronnie Bell representing the team’s other options at the position.

49ers Discussing First-Round Trade Involving WRs Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel

April 25th, 2024 at 4:11pm CST by Adam La Rose

Plenty of speculation has surrounded Brandon Aiyuk recently, and that continues to be the case as the draft approaches. Fellow 49ers receiver Deebo Samuel could also find himself on the trade block.

San Francisco has discussed a move up the board in the first round – perhaps as high as the top 10 in the order – in a trade which would include either Aiyuk or Samuel, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports. Despite assurances from general manager John Lynch that the former is expected to stay in place, he will thus remain worth watching closely in the coming hours.

San Francisco is not believed to be close on extension talks with Aiyuk, who has publicly displayed his frustration with the lack of a long-term deal. Citing the similarities of his case to that of Samuel not that long ago, Lynch has offered public confidence the former first-rounder will be retained through the draft. Depending on the market which emerges, though, that could stand to change.

Michael Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle confirms teams have shown interest in Samuel in addition to Aiyuk. The former is on the books for two more years, while the latter is set to play on his $14.12MM fifth-year option in 2024. Keeping Aiyuk in the fold on a major raise would be difficult given the implications of extending another skill-position player before quarterback Brock Purdy becomes eligible for a lucrative new deal of his own.

The 49ers currently own pick No. 31, and as such they could stand to benefit from a notable move up the board. Jumping into the top 10 would incur a major cost, but including Aiyuk or Samuel in any trade would of course create a notable vacancy in the team’s offense. It will be interesting to see how many teams set to pick early or in the middle of the Day 1 order are interested in adding an expensive veteran at the WR position.

Believed to be in the market for a receiver addition, the Steelers have been named as one of the teams which have shown interest in Aiyuk. The 26-year-old had a career year in 2023 (75,1,342-7 statline) and he is poised to remain a focal point on San Francisco’s offense if he remains in place. Whether or not that will be the case is once again a burning question as the draft draws near.

49ers GM: “Wouldn’t Anticipate” Brandon Aiyuk Trade

April 23rd, 2024 at 10:22pm CST by Ben Levine

While the 49ers aren’t any closer to signing Brandon Aiyuk to an extension, the organization continues to signal that they want to retain the star wide receiver. With trade rumors rumbling, general manager John Lynch made it clear that the 49ers want Aiyuk on their roster in 2024 and beyond.

“I’ve communicated on many occasions: our wish is that he’s here and part of the Niners for the rest of his career,” Lynch said (via ESPN’s Nick Wagoner). “We’re working through that … I can say we’re having good talks, and I’m just going to leave it at that.”

When asked if there’s a chance Aiyuk could be dealt during this week’s draft, Lynch said that he “wouldn’t anticipate” making that kind of move. However, the GM did acknowledge that he’s received interest from WR-needy teams. We heard last week that the Steelers were among the teams sniffing around on the 49ers WR.

As Ari Meirov of The33rdTeam.com writes, the draft will ultimately be a “critical pressure point” in the 49ers/Aiyuk saga. This is a similar situation to how the 49ers proceeded with Deebo Samuel in 2022. The team ended up rejecting offers from interested teams (including the No. 10 pick from the Jets) before ultimately extending the receiver a few months later. If Aiyuk is on the 49ers roster through the draft, Meirov believes that will signal that the 49ers are confident in signing Aiyuk to a new contract.

Set to play the 2024 campaign on the fifth-year option, Aiyuk is seeking an extension that would make him one of the league’s highest-paid wide receivers. While the front office could temporarily afford an Aiyuk extension, the team may be hard pressed to carry the receiver’s sizable cap hits in future years.

If the 49ers aren’t willing to pay Aiyuk what he wants, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport is confident that there are other teams that would willingly give the wideout a sizable pay day. Rapoport is currently leaning towards Aiyuk taking a slight discount to stick where he’s most comfortable, but the reporter also cautions that things could change quickly.

Latest On Teams Targeting WRs In First Round

April 20th, 2024 at 4:08pm CST by Ely Allen

We know that the Steelers have been identified as a team that could be likely to trade for a veteran wide receiver this offseason, but what about teams looking for wide receivers in the first round? A lot of focus has been placed on teams looking to draft quarterbacks, per usual, but Jason La Canfora of The Washington Post provided us with the names of a few teams targeting pass-catchers on Day 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft. La Canfora identifies the Cardinals, Bears, Colts, Bills, 49ers, and Chiefs as the likely suspects.

Some of these, we’ve heard plenty about already. At No. 4 overall, the Cardinals sit in the line of picks that are all expected to be quarterbacks, according to most mock drafts, meaning they are expected to trade down from the position. Many see them trading back to No. 6, allowing the Giants to select Daniel Jones‘ potential replacement. This would leave them in line to draft the class’s top receiver prospect, Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. This could provide Arizona with a new top receiver after the departure of Marquise Brown to Kansas City.

This would require the Chargers to pass on wide receiver, a huge position of need after watching both Keenan Allen and Mike Williams depart this offseason. While it wouldn’t be much of a surprise to see Los Angeles select Harrison, new general manager Joe Hortiz (from Baltimore) has shown an affinity for Notre Dame prospects like Ronnie Stanley and Kyle Hamilton. Combine that with the addition of new offensive coordinator Greg Roman, and connections to Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt make all the sense in the world. Roman’s run-heavy offensive mentality makes tackle a bigger priority than receiver in the first round.

Wide receiver has been seen as less of a priority for the Bears after they acquired Allen in a trade from the Chargers. Still, drafting a top receiver prospect like LSU’s Malik Nabers or Washington’s Rome Odunze could give projected new quarterback Caleb Williams a strong trio of targets with Allen and D.J. Moore. Chicago could pair the draft’s QB1 with a potential WR1 as ESPN’s Matt Miller tells us that there are some teams in the NFL who see Nabers and Odunze as better prospects than Harrison. The three receivers are closer than people may think on most draft boards and their order of preference could come down to scheme and fit.

In Indianapolis, the Colts would love to bring in a first-round receiver for second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson. Josh Downs and Alec Pierce were decent options behind Michael Pittman Jr., but having a true weapon across the field could really help both Richardson and Pittman. If Harrison, Nabers, and Odunze find their way off the board by the time the Colts select at No. 15, LSU’s Brian Thomas Jr. could fall into their lap, though Odunze could still be available if nobody takes a flyer on him as the best player available regardless of position.

At the back end of the first round, wide receiver has become a big need for the Bills after they watched Gabriel Davis depart in free agency and traded away Stefon Diggs to the Texans. Khalil Shakir now leads the position room, and though the top four receivers aren’t expected to be available by the 28th pick, pairing Shakir with Texas’ Adonai Mitchell, FSU’s Keon Coleman, or Florida’s Ricky Pearsall could be productive.

As for the 49ers and Chiefs in the last two picks of the draft, San Francisco is a bit of surprise inclusion after recently paying Deebo Samuel and still currently denying that Brandon Aiyuk is available via trade. Still, if Aiyuk is potentially on the way out, taking flyer on Mitchell, Coleman, or Pearsall could work out.

As for Kansas City, they’ve tried their fair share of veteran free agent additions for Patrick Mahomes, and will do so again with the addition of Brown this offseason, as well as some draft picks in the second round or later. We’ve seen the Chiefs have success with smaller wide receivers with speed, so bringing in Georgia’s Ladd McConkey, Michigan’s Roman Wilson, or Texas’ Xavier Worthy could make a lot of sense.

Whoever doesn’t hear their name called on the first night of the draft shouldn’t have to wait too long. Dane Brugler of The Athletic’s latest mock draft showed the Panthers selecting McConkey with their first pick of the draft, which will be the first pick of the second round. If McConkey is already off the board, Wilson and Worthy offer similar skill sets.

It’s a deep class for wide receivers this year. Top prospects like Harrison, Nabers, Odunze, and Thomas are considered no-brainers as first-round picks. An early run on those four could see many of the pass-catchers behind them find their way into the first round, as well. Even so, there are nearly 20 wideouts with a projected third-round grade or better. Not only is this a wide receiver class with lots of talent up top, but talent throughout will benefit teams who need receivers but will have to target other positions of need first.

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/18/24

April 18th, 2024 at 7:21pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Houston Texans

Placed on exempt/international list: OT Kilian Zierer

Los Angeles Chargers

Placed on exempt/international list: DL Basil Okoye

Minnesota Vikings

Waived/non-football injury: OT Coy Cronk

San Francisco 49ers

Placed on exempt/international list: OT Isaac Alarcon

Each team is allowed an extra practice squad spot in 2024 if they carry an international player. By placing a player on the exempt/international list, these teams are all but declaring which international player they’re choosing to roster next season.

Draft Rumors: 49ers, Corley, Commanders, Bears, Alt, Giants, Eagles, Seahawks, Steelers, Vikings, Lions

April 18th, 2024 at 1:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

No Brandon Aiyuk trade request has emerged yet, separating this situation from the Deebo Samuel saga from 2022. Samuel receiving an extension later that year complicates matters for Aiyuk, who has needed to wait longer to enter extension territory due to being a former first-round pick. As this remains a storyline to monitor ahead of the draft, the 49ers scheduled a notable visit. Western Kentucky wide receiver Malachi Corley stopped through team headquarters, per Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz, just before the deadline for “30” visits this week.

Playing a role in the Hilltoppers’ Bailey Zappe-led aerial fireworks in 2021, Corley enjoyed a more prominent position in the mid-major team’s passing attack over the past two years — each 11-touchdown campaigns. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein threw out Samuel as a comp for Corley, who is projected to be a second-round pick. Though, he will be unlikely to be available by the time San Francisco’s No. 63 slot arrives. With big-ticket expenses at three other skill-position spots (and Brock Purdy eligible for a re-up in 2025), the 49ers have a major decision to make with Aiyuk soon.

Here is the latest from the draft ranks:

The Giants‘ quarterback-or-wide receiver decision at No. 6 figures to be one of this draft’s most important, but the team did bring in some first-round prospects who do not play those positions. Tackle Joe Alt and edge rusher Dallas Turner visited the team recently, per the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz. Highly unlikely to draft Turner due to the Brian Burns trade and Kayvon Thibodeaux‘s status, the Giants could conceivably consider Alt. The All-American Notre Dame left tackle would need to be moved to the right side, however, and Schwartz reaffirms a recent report that indicates the team has not given up on keeping 2022 No. 7 overall pick Evan Neal at tackle.
Now that Cooper DeJean went through a workout following a broken fibula suffered in November, a few teams brought him in for visits. The Iowa cornerback met with the Bills previously, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport notes the Seahawks, Steelers and Eagles hosted the talented cover man on “30” visits before Wednesday’s deadline. Our Ely Allen recently examined the first-round-caliber CB’s prospect stock.
Staying at corner, both the Vikings and Lions brought in the well-traveled Terrion Arnold for pre-draft visits, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. The Alabama corner, who slots as the top player at the position (No. 9 overall) on Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board, also met with the Cardinals, Titans, Falcons and Jaguars during the draft run-up. The Lions, whose CB situation changed after the Cameron Sutton arrest/release, also brought in Arnold teammate Kool-Aid McKinstry recently.
Penn State edge rusher Chop Robinson, he of a 4.49-second 40-yard dash at the Combine, made two more visits before visit season ended. The Bears and Commanders brought in the intriguing DE prospect, Rapoport adds. In need of D-end help after trading Montez Sweat to the Bears, the Commanders hold the No. 40 pick as a result of that trade. Washington carries Nos. 36 and 40, while Chicago does not have a second-round pick this year. Linked to a potential WR-or-Brock Bowers call at No. 9, the Bears may not be in the value range for Robinson, whom Jeremiah slots as this draft’s No. 21 overall talent.
The Seahawks met with Bo Nix and have a clear connection to Michael Penix Jr., with new OC Ryan Grubb having coached the latter at Washington. With Geno Smith on a flexible contract that runs through 2025, Seattle brought in South Carolina QB Spencer Rattler for a pre-deadline visit, per Schultz. Slotted as the No. 7 QB on Mel Kiper Jr.’s ESPN.com big board, Rattler met with the Giants this week as well. The former Oklahoma recruit earned Senior Bowl MVP honors in January.

49ers To Bring Back WR Trent Taylor

April 16th, 2024 at 3:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

After three years away, Trent Taylor has agreed to come back to San Francisco. The veteran wide receiver/return man is set to rejoin the 49ers, Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz tweets. The team has since announced a one-year agreement with Taylor.

The 49ers drafted Taylor in the 2017 fifth round but did not retain him once his rookie contract expired. After two seasons with the Bengals, the slot player/punt returner spent last year with the Bears. Taylor operated as Chicago’s primary punt returner last season.

Taylor predates some of the key 49ers who have been part of the team’s run of NFC championship game appearances over the past three years, but he arrived during Kyle Shanahan‘s first offseason as HC. The 49ers used Taylor extensively on offense in 2017; the 5-foot-8 target caught 43 passes for 430 yards and two touchdowns. Since that season, however, Taylor has not seen much usage on offense. He has, however, worked as a regular punt returner for three franchises.

Also San Francisco’s punt returner as a rookie, Taylor averaged 10.3 yards per return with Cincinnati in 2022; that ranked sixth in the NFL. Last year, the Bears stashed Taylor on their practice squad before calling him up ahead of Week 1. Taylor played in all 17 Chicago games, averaging 8.3 yards per return. While Taylor has not seen much time as a receiver since his first 49ers stint, he caught a key two-point conversion in the Bengals’ overtime win over the Chiefs in the 2021 AFC championship game.

San Francisco’s primary punt returner last season — Ray-Ray McCloud — is no longer on the roster; he signed with the Falcons in free agency. A failed McCloud fumble recovery on the punt that caromed off Darrell Luter in the third quarter of Super Bowl LVIII became a pivotal sequence for the 49ers, whose defense surrendered a touchdown — the Chiefs’ only regulation TD in the overtime thriller — one play later. Taylor, who will turn 30 later this month, may now be the favorite to replace McCloud in the return game.

A Taylor injury prevented him from playing in 2019, though he did circle back to a Super Bowl stage two years later with the Bengals. As the 49ers attempt to clear a troublesome hurdle en route to their sixth championship, they are bringing back an old friend for a niche role. Although the NFL changing the kick-return game has affected teams’ plans this offseason, Taylor has mostly been a punt-game specialist. The Louisiana Tech alum has eight career kickoff returns as a pro.

49ers Rebuffing Brandon Aiyuk Trade Inquiries

April 15th, 2024 at 9:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

Taking the increasingly common step of unfollowing his team during a contract situation, Brandon Aiyuk has not requested a trade. But the 49ers’ situation complicates his future. And teams are looking into this situation.

Receiver-needy teams have reached out to the 49ers about Aiyuk’s potential availability over the past several months, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. Thus far, per RapSheet (video link), San Francisco has rebuffed those efforts and is moving forward with Aiyuk on the roster. That said, John Lynch has acknowledged the challenges of this process at multiple points this offseason.

The draft looms as the calendar’s second trade window of sorts and should be seen as one of the deadlines in this situation. The 49ers are in a good spot contractually for 2024, with Brock Purdy forced to stay on a rookie contract. By 2025, however, the team stands to have a much more complicated situation on its hands. As Purdy becomes extension-eligible, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey are signed to upper-crust or top-market (in McCaffrey’s case) extensions.

Kittle, McCaffrey and Samuel will be in contract years in 2025 as well. That sets up a difficult landscape for the 49ers, who have Aiyuk and Charvarius Ward contract years presently. Aiyuk, 25, led the 49ers in receiving — by a wide margin, with a career-high 1,342 — last year. With the DeVonta Smith contract (three years, $75MM, $51MM in practical guarantees) potentially settling in as the floor for an Aiyuk deal, the 49ers will need to determine their future with their talented wideout tandem.

Although extension talks have begun, the 49ers and Aiyuk — as of late March — were not close on terms. Like the Bengals and Tee Higgins, the 49ers keeping Aiyuk would provide a team on the championship doorstep — no team has ever been closer to a title without winning it than last year’s San Francisco edition — with a better chance of stepping over an elusive hurdle. But the 49ers also faced an eerily similar situation in the past. They responded to the DeForest Buckner–Arik Armstead situation, which came to a head just after their first Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs, by unloading the more expensive player for a first-round pick.

Indeed, GMs are monitoring this latest San Francisco contract quandary. One anonymous front office boss told the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora he expects the 49ers to move either Aiyuk or Samuel but noted “if Deebo was the guy to go, I think he’d already be gone.” This GM said he would be “shocked” if the 49ers do not move one of their receivers.

The team gave Jauan Jennings a second-round RFA tender in March, but losing Aiyuk would not exactly mean the former seventh-round pick steps into the WR2 role — even if the team is eyeing a Jennings extension. Given how close the 49ers have been over the past three years, the team would seemingly need to add a starter-caliber wideout in the event it did accept a trade offer for Aiyuk.

Multiple factors might keep a trade haul low, which would make 49ers tabling this matter to 2025 understandable. Aiyuk is in the final year of his rookie contract (a $14.12MM fifth-year option); a team needing to sign off on an extension north of where the Eagles went for Smith would naturally decrease the compensation coming back to San Francisco. This draft also features a deep receiver class, which could prompt teams to take their chances with a first- or second-round wideout that will be attached to a rookie contract into the late 2020s.

A tag-and-trade situation could conceivably come up for the 49ers next year, but it is clear teams are looking closely at this storyline ahead of the draft. The Jets and Lions made offers for Samuel during the 2022 draft; the 49ers held onto their versatile weapon and extended him later that summer. After four seasons with Samuel and Aiyuk together, will the 49ers unload the 2020 first-rounder and pivot to a cost-controlled replacement?

WR Notes: Adams, Aiyuk, Bills

April 14th, 2024 at 4:05pm CST by Adam La Rose

Davante Adams has been mentioned in trade speculation on a number of occasions, but new Raiders general manager Tom Telesco has made it clear the team is not looking to find him a new home. Adams himself has offered a similar commitment.

“If I wanted to be gone, I’d be gone by now,” the three-time All-Pro said Sunday during an appearance at his youth camp (h/t Adam Hill of the Las Vegas Review-Journal). Adams has been connected to the Jets in particular given New York’s addition of Aaron Rodgers last offseason, but the team has made other veteran WR plans. The Jets added Mike Williams on one-year deal after his Chargers release, leaving the Raiders in place to make Adams the focal point of their passing game for a third season.

Adams was among the members of Vegas’ core who endorsed giving Antonio Pierce – after finishing the 2023 campaign as interim head coach – the full-time gig for 2024. That wound up being the case, and the Raiders will no doubt lean heavily on the 31-year-old on offense with running back Josh Jacobs no longer in the fold and, potentially, a rookie quarterback competing for playing time with Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew. Three years remain on Adams’ deal (although no guaranteed salary is in place for 2025 or ’26).

Here are some other WR-related notes from around the league:

49ers standout Brandon Aiyuk has seen his future questioned recently, despite comments from general manager John Lynch confirming the team’s willingness to get a new deal done. With little progress being made on extension talks, the former first-rounder unfollowed the 49ers on Instagram, as noted by NFL Network’s Clayton Holloway. While such a move has become increasingly common over the years during contract disputes, Aiyuk is not eyeing a deal sending him elsewhere. The 26-year-old has not requested a trade, per his agent. Aiyuk is set to earn $14.12MM on his fifth-year option in 2024 absent a more lucrative San Francisco agreement being worked out.
General manager Brandon Beane included edge rusher Von Miller as part of the Bills‘ party at least year’s Combine, and the latter intends to become a general manager once his playing days are over. Beane and Miller were linked once again on Friday when the future Hall of Famer posted a video with the caption reading in part: “Brandon Beane arriving to the 2024 NFL draft to trade up for a WR.” The Bills have been named as a team to watch on the receiver front in the draft, with Gabe Davis departing in free agency and Stefon Diggs being dealt to the Texans. While Buffalo has signed Curtis Samuel, the team could use a Day 1 rookie addition. The Bills currently own the 28th overall pick, and a move up the board could give them access to a number of highly-rated wideouts from the celebrated 2024 class.

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