NFL - NEWS & NOTES

Patriots could use a playermaker like Aiÿuk he might be a big help to Drake Maye

 

Wow, interesting, I didnt even know the Browns were in play.

 

Christian McCaffrey has a calf strain, won’t play in preseason

The 49ers are down another offensive starter at training camp.

Running back Christian McCaffrey got the new deal that wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and left tackle Trent Williams are looking for from the team, but he is not going to be on the field for the team for a while. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said at a Tuesday press conference that McCaffrey is dealing with a calf strain.

Shanahan said McCaffrey will not play at all in the preseason due to the injury and is expected to be out of practice for a couple of weeks.

The 49ers are also practicing without backup running back Elijah Mitchell due to a hamstring injury and the dual injuries explain why the team brought Matt Breida back to the roster this week. Breida joins Jordan Mason, fourth-rounder Issac Guerendo, Patrick Taylor, and Cody Schrader as available backs for the Niners.

PFT/Alper

 

Be interesting to see if CLE and PIT get into a bidding war.

Anyone want to take a shot on possible compensation?

 

Im thinking the Browns will offer Amari Cooper and some draft capital, but can they afford the $30M Aiyuk is going to want after the Watson contract thing. If Cleveland does offer Cooper and draft picks, my bet would be they'd win the Aiyuk sweepstakes.

Steelers need to just offer their 2025 1st round pick and maybe the 49ers would bite there. Ive read no other teams in this 'Aiyuk hunt' have offered a first.

One thing Aiyuk had said publicly, that his 2 preferred landing spots would be Pittsburgh and Washington, so maybe the Steelers might have an edge, just guessing.

This is fun to watch unfold, and Im easily amused.

 

Having said that, he'll land up in New England.

 

Ayuck ain’t worth a first round pick if you got to pay him 30+ million

 

It's normally way less than people think. I'd guess a 2nd and another lower pick.

 

My guess is a 2025 2nd and a 2026 4th/5th round swap (or just a 5th with no swap) for Pittsburgh.

For Cleveland, it’s probably Cooper and a 4th with the conditional of it becoming a 2nd depending on Aiyuk stats/playing time.

 

Also, I’m willing bet he’d sign for 2-3 million less a year if he goes to Pittsburgh instead of Cleveland. Him getting his preferred landing spot is the reason.

 

The Patriots are out of the running for Brandon Aiyuk, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

The team had the framework of a deal in place with the 49ers for the star receiver pending working out a long-term contract agreement with Aiyuk. But Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area said Aiyuk did not show interest in going to New England.

 

UPDATE...

McVay says Puka will be good to go come week 1.

 

Im beginning to think Shanahan and Lynch have had it with Aiyuk and have seen enough of his attitude. The San Francisco Chronicle even alluded to this. With the Patriots out, the Browns might wanna just sit back n say; hey, Pittsburgh, you can have him. Looks like the 49ers are tolerating him in hopes of the bidding war bringing in a nice payload, but with that approach, the 9ers might be shooting themselves in the foot.

Im leaning towards, StlCrtn's 2nd rounder getting it done, and it should since the bids from the 'interested' teams seem to be weakening.

 

WHAT?????

I saw an article headline Monday that said the Steelers could lose Aiyuk to an AFC North rival, I didn't open the click bait because I assumed it was the Ravens! That would be HUGE. Very unexpected after getting Jerry Jeudy...

They are going all in.. They have to find a product that will pay for their domed stadium they are building in Brook Park, $3.6 BILLION to build.

 

You're always good for a little comic relief.

I don't know how they keep doing it, but the Browns currently have $29.6M in cap space and the Steelers have $15.9M according to Spotrac. Even with a team friendly deal, and pushing money down the line, the Steelers might need to do some work to beat the Browns monetarily.

For those suggesting that Cooper would be part of the trade, he just restructured his contract with the Browns. It helps the team with salary cap in 2024, but would be detrimental if he is traded as the 2025 and 2026 dead money that would be voided with those contract years being voided, would then come forward and count half in 2024 and half in 2025. He was due to have a $24M cap hit, under the new restructure, he now counts $8.7M in 2024, but if he is traded that escalates to a $31.2M dead cap, which could be split between 2024 and 2025.

I don't think Cooper is going to be a part of that compensation package.

I think they are going all in on the 2024 season and Cooper will leave in free agency in 2025.

 

If I'm being honest... the 49ers are the team that is best suited to pay the man... Are they being ignorant to his talent, or are they thinking they don't need him, or do they know something deeper that would indicate they don't want him?

I know Haslem is an all in kind of guy. If he WANTS the talent, especially if that means Stealing (pun intended) him away from a rival, he's going to get it done. I'm just not convinced that a trade with any of these teams will work out for the 49ers. I think pride has gotten in the way of this one and they are going to be on the losing end of what ever they end up doing.

 

Think the bigger problem is they’ve already got six $20M+ cap hits on the books for next year and they’re gonna have to pay their QB after this year, too.

 

Thanks…I guess

The Steelers can still restructure Watt, Fitzpatrick, and Ogunjobi to free up 23+ million. I believe Fitzpatrick and Ogunjobi is a big possibility to free up a little over 13

This I can agree with because I believe it’s 29 million in dead money if cooper is traded. It’s an astronomical number when you factor in giving Aiyuk a new deal. However, the 49ers would probably prefer to get a respectable/proven vet if they can. Outside of Pickens, the Steelers don’t really have that at WR. Maybe CA3 because of the speed, but he can’t stay healthy.

 

Im thinking (trying), that Aiyuk goes nowhere and takes a deal from the 49ers. San Francisco is just trying to bate the open market and are realizing they're not going to get a king's ransom, while Aiyuk with his picky attitude is only hurting the process.

Insider (whatever that means) Andrew Fillipponi revealed that the issue lies in the players the 49ers are requesting. They are seeking different players than Pittsburgh is willing to offer according to his post on X.



I dont see Pittsburgh doing business like that, so the whole thing about Aiyuk is going to implode in my opinion.

 

The biggest problem for the 49ers is that they can’t trade him to a team if he won’t agree to a contract extension first. Ayiuk wants to play for Tomlin. He’s going to force a trade with The Steelers which means they get him for a better price or the 9ers have to play him on his final year of his contract.