Browns Trade Pitch Nets Brandon Aiyuk of 49ers, Keeps Amari Cooper in Cleveland

Getty Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk of the San Francisco 49ers.

The Cleveland Browns are in the mix for San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and contrary to popular belief, they don’t necessarily have to give up Amari Cooper to get a deal done.

Jack Duffin of Orange and Brown Report suggested on Tuesday, August 6, that Cleveland may be able to send San Francisco Elijah Moore instead of Cooper, the latter of whom is entering the final year of his recently reworked contract and could burden the 49ers with financial issues mirroring those they face with Aiyuk just one year from now.

“There is a chance, in my eyes, it could be Moore instead, but these are much lower,” Duffin wrote. “[Cleveland] wouldn’t realistically be able to keep all four wide receivers. With it being Moore’s contract year, he would grow frustrated, [as a] fourth wide receiver tends to see very little time on the field.”

Moore would be an easier, cheaper option than Cooper to keep in the Bay Area if the 49ers decided to do so beyond 2024. However, the reigning NFC champions aren’t going to just give away an All-Pro wideout, no matter how disgruntled he’s become.

That translates into the Browns including a high-level player alongside Moore as part of any realistic deal. Duffin noted Pro Bowl guard Wyatt Teller and cornerback Greg Newsome as candidates.

“Newsome, if one of [Cameron] Mitchell or [Myles] Harden are ready to play slot, then [the Browns] are able to unload $15.8m of contract from the team over the next two years. His trade value might only be a future fourth next offseason, so doing something now makes a lot of sense,” Duffin wrote. “[Or] Teller — [the Browns] have a lot of money invested in their offensive line and … could look to make this move this year.”

Browns, 49ers Trade Swapping Amari Cooper, Brandon Aiyuk Still Most Likely Outcome if Deal Happens

GettyCleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper.

Duffin’s suggestions are comprised of several moving parts and would require significant maneuvering on both sides. By comparison, a trade centered around flipping Cooper for Aiyuk is much cleaner and simpler.

“The Browns would undoubtedly have to give San Francisco five-time Pro Bowler Amari Cooper, because the 49ers could plug him into Aiyuk’s spot as their No. 1 receiver and carry on with their march back to the Super Bowl,” Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com wrote Tuesday.

While Cabot’s point is well-taken, both her use of the term “undoubtedly” and the notion that Cooper would walk into San Francisco as the team’s undisputed top wideout are overestimations.

First, the Niners have former first-team All-Pro Deebo Samuel on the roster, so bringing back another elite pass-catcher doesn’t need to be San Francisco’s priority. It tracks logically that the team would want to replace Aiyuk with a player of Cooper’s caliber, but he is on the wrong side of 30 and struggled with injuries down the stretch of each of the last two seasons.

San Francisco paid Jauan Jennings more than $15 million on a two-year extension in May and also has George Kittle, arguably the best tight end in the NFL.. As such, the 49ers might not only consider, but actually prefer, a player like Teller who can revamp the interior of their offensive line.

Jon Feliciano was the 5th-ranked guard in football last season out of 79 players who saw enough snaps to qualify, per Pro Football Focus. However, the other two guards currently on the Niners’ roster who played enough to earn rankings — Aaron Banks and Spencer Buford — finished ranked 60th and 64th, respectively.

Brandon Aiyuk Could Elevate Browns Passing Game to Next Level

GettyWide receiver Brandon Aiyuk of the San Francisco 49ers.

Landing Aiyuk would be a boon for the Browns, regardless of whether the team kept Cooper or not. However, after trading for Jerry Jeudy this offseason, Cleveland could boast one of the best receiver corps in the league if it was able to deal for Aiyuk and retain Cooper for the 2024 campaign.

Aiyuk, 26, hauled in 75 receptions for 1,342 receiving yards and 7 TDs for San Francisco last year. Coming off that performance, Spotrac projects his market value at $27.5 million annually over a four-year deal.

Duffin on Tuesday projected that Aiyuk could get as much as $30 million per season on a new contract with the Browns or the New England Patriots, the other top candidate for Aiyuk’s services, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.