Grade the Trade: Patriots land Brandon Aiyuk in wild 3-way trade proposal

With Brandon Aiyuk's future with the San Francisco 49ers appearing to still be in flux, the receiver continues to be in the midst of several trade proposals involving nearly every other team in the league, especially the Patriots.

Because the belief is that New England still needs a clear WR1, which Aiyuk would be, they are the most common team associated with the receiver in any new proposal.

They have the means to pay him this year and in the future, and with their 2024 season expected not to be a winning one, they should also have the draft means to trade with the 49ers if that were part of their asking price.

From what has been alleged so far, GM John Lynch wants a first-round pick and nothing less for Aiyuk before entertaining a conversation to move on from the talented player. He has insisted the team is not looking to trade him any time soon, but actions speak louder than words, and the lack of contract negotiations says a lot more.

The problem with that scenario for the Patriots is that they are predicted to have a top-10 if not top-5, draft pick next year, which seems a bit high for Aiyuk. However, Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report thinks that would be the basis of a three-way trade to get Aiyuk in a Patriots uniform next season.

Grade the Trade: Patriots land Brandon Aiyuk in wild 3-way trade proposal

Given the free agent options the Patriots will have next year to boost their receiving corps, it's looking like they'll need to make a trade to get the caliber of player they need instead. They could use their potentially high first-round pick in next year's draft on one of the best of the class, but that's far enough away that it's too hard to say if that would be the right way for them to go.

Because of that, trading for Aiyuk seems like a good move, even more so if they involve a third team to get the deal done.

Knox suggests that the Patriots and 49ers add the Falcons to the mix, with New England trading Matthew Judon to Atlanta. The NFC South team then sends Mike Hughes and a third-round pick to San Francisco, who sends Aiyuk in exchange for the Patriots' 2025 first-round selection.

It's a risky move for the Patriots in particular, as they would trade away a potential top-5 pick for a wide receiver. To complete the trade, they'd also be shipping off their best pass rusher with questionable depth at the position, which is also not the smartest move.

However, the trade could also be considered worth it since Judon is entering the final year of his contract, which Eliot Wolf is yet to address, and they'd finally add the game-changing receiver that the offense has needed for several years. Aiyuk is only 26 years old, so he will be with the team for quite a while, which is also a positive.

Overall, it's not a horrific proposal, and all teams look like winners, even though the 49ers look like they fleeced the other two teams. The Patriots would add a player to finally put the offense over the top, but the cost of losing a high first-rounder and a record-breaking defender isn't ideal.

Grade: C

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