The New England Patriots are out of the running in the Brandon Aiyuk sweepstakes, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. They are no longer pursuing a trade for the San Francisco 49ers star wide receiver after gaining steam as a possible landing spot in the past couple of days. But the reported reason might demoralize and offend the Foxborough Faithful.
“The Patriots had an agreement in place with the 49ers and a large offer to Aiyuk on the table, but he did not show interest in going there,” NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco reported. That stings.
New England was considered to be on the shortlist of franchises that could realistically assemble a worthwhile trade package for Aiyuk, but the 26-year-old can essentially force the 49ers' hand in any potential talks they have with other teams. If he does not express interest in signing an extension, then a deal is unlikely to be finalized.
It should be noted that Schefter specifically mentioned that the Patriots are excited about their young WR room, so perhaps this whole situation is a bit more complex. Regardless, they clearly tried to pull off this big move and ultimately came away empty-handed.
People will remember this moment. If Aiyuk winds up somewhere else like the Cleveland Browns or Pittsburgh Steelers and fails to achieve notable success on an individual or team level, Patriots fans will incessantly remind him of the choice he made. If he thrives, however, then they will absorb yet another dagger in what has been a painful post-Tom Brady era in New England.
Perhaps this discounted group could surpass the low bar many have set for it, though.
Can the Patriots develop some of their current receivers?
The defense figures to be productive once again and is the expertise of former All-Pro linebacker and first-year head coach Jerod Mayo. But there is promise on offense, too.
Kendrick Bourne totaled 37 receptions for 406 yards and four touchdowns in eight games before suffering a torn ACL last year. The organization inked him to a three-year extension, which shows that it believes he will come back strong from the injury and continue to be a consistent part of the Patriots' passing game. Second-year wide receiver DeMario Douglas and rookies Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker are presumably among the aforementioned young players the team is excited about. They will have a good opportunity to garner targets this year.
While Brandon Aiyuk could have been an ideal option to aid rookie quarterback Drake Maye in his transition to the NFL, paying him a fortune when New England is still enduring its share of growing pains may not align with the franchise's current trajectory. But that is not really the point.
The Patriots were allegedly turned down by an upper echelon talent. They must now use it as motivation and hope their current roster can fulfill its potential. That is the quickest way this once model franchise can alter the perception that others in the league may now have of it.
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