The San Francisco 49ers are reportedly considering a Brandon Aiyuk trade, and the signing of wide receiver Demarcus Robinson could speed that process along. After going all-in during Trey Lance and Brock Purdy’s rookie window, the former seventh-round pick is now due for a massive extension. With limited cap space, San Francisco already traded Deebo Samuel and cut several veterans, but Aiyuk could be the next one out the door.
Even with Samuel in Washington, the 49ers still have a strong wide receiver depth chart. While Aiyuk is the biggest name of the bunch, Jauan Jennings is a reliable receiver and first-round pick Ricky Pearsall showed promise while adjusting to the NFL and recovering from gunshot wounds. These three, along with tight end Christian McCaffrey and tight end George Kittle, mean that there aren’t many extra targets for the taking.
Demarcus Robinson is no superstar, but he’s an NFL-caliber player who could be a solid third receiver in a deep passing attack. With this in mind, why would he sign with a team where he could not realistically be anything more than the fourth receiver and seventh overall target? This signing only makes sense if the 49ers are still trying to trade Brandon Aiyuk, and several teams should be interested in a potential deal.
49ers Latest Signing Suggests A Brandon Aiyuk Trade Is Coming
Potential Next Teams
Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers will continue to be on lists like this until they finally acquire another wide receiver. Second-round pick Ladd McConkey looks like the real deal, but he cannot carry the entire passing attack by himself. Head coach Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers reportedly attempted to trade for D.K. Metcalf and Diontae Johnson over the last calendar year, but perhaps they can finally close the deal and trade with the 49ers for Brandon Aiyuk.
New England Patriots
The Patriots entered the offseason with needs at almost every position, and while they addressed the defense and offensive line, they still need a game-changing wide receiver. Drake Maye showed plenty of promise as a rookie, but nobody can survive in the current environment. Brandon Aiyuk would easily be the best receiver on this roster and his skillset should fit in Josh McDaniels’ offense.
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers have a high-risk, high-reward group of wide receivers headlined by the promising but relatively untested duo of Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker. Adam Thielen provides some veteran security, but the former Viking is well past his prime and shouldn’t be anything more than a depth option in the passing attack. Brandon Aiyuk will give Bryce Young a much-needed proven target with some upside, and the Panthers should be able to work out a trade with the 49ers.
New York Giants
Whether it’s Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, or a rookie, the Giants next quarterback will need more help to succeed in Brian Daboll’s offense. First-round pick Malik Nabers is a legitimate star, but you could do a lot better than Wan’Dale Robinson and the recently re-signed Darius Slayton. Daboll will lose his job if this team doesn’t turn it around, so he should have no issue with sending a future pick to the 49ers in a Brandon Aiyuk trade.
Kansas City Chiefs
Nobody knows exactly what will happen with the Kansas City Chiefs wide receivers over the next few months. Marquise Brown may be back, but DeAndre Hopkins is a Raven and Xavier Worthy and Rashee Rice are both facing potential suspensions. If Rice and Worthy return without incident, the Chiefs will have no reason to trade for Brandon Aiyuk. However, if one or both players miss an extended amount of time, the team could pursue Aiyuk.
Main Photo: Cary Edmonson – Imagn Images
The post 49ers Latest Signing Could Signal Massive Trade appeared first on Last Word on Pro Football.