Former NFL player and scout Bucky Brooks knows the ins and outs of this league, providing keen insight in his notebook. Today's installment covers:
But first, a look at potential destinations for one young star who just requested a trade ...
The Brandon Aiyuk soap opera took a headline-grabbing turn on Tuesday, when NFL Network Insider Mike Garafolo reported that the second-team All-Pro wide receiver has requested a trade from the San Francisco 49ers. While the team has suggested it does not have any plans to deal the fifth-year pro, Aiyuk's unhappiness with the lack of progress on a contract extension has prompted him to ask out on the eve of training camp. According to Garafolo, the Niners have been unwilling to engage in negotiations since May.
So, what’s next?
Despite the star wideout's displeasure, I'm skeptical San Francisco will move on from the 26-year-old after he finished 2023 ranked seventh in receiving yards (1,342), producing the third-most big plays (28 receptions of 20-yard-plus), behind only Tyreek Hill and CeeDee Lamb (29 apiece). Considering the guy averaged a whopping 17.9 yards per catch while posting his second straight 1,000-yard season, Aiyuk is quite a bargain, playing on a fifth-year option ($14.1 million) that pays him less than half of what premier pass catchers are making on the open market.
While the lack of a long-term deal has clearly drawn the ire of Aiyuk, the 49ers are using their leverage to keep as much of the band together as possible in their current championship window, while also thinking ahead to building a roster around a big-money quarterback. Remember, former seventh-round pick Brock Purdy will be eligible to sign a contract extension next offseason that could push him into the $50 million club as an elite quarterback. The Niners need to retain some financial flexibility to absorb that blockbuster deal, while also assessing which costly veterans (SEE: Deebo Samuel, Trent Williams, Nick Bosa, George Kittle, Christian McCaffrey and Aiyuk) will comprise the supporting cast around the franchise QB.
Don't get me wrong: Aiyuk deserves to get the bag after performing at an elite level. But in the moment, Niners execs are attempting to slow play that process, giving the organization more latitude to put a Super Bowl contender on the field in 2024 and beyond.
All that being said, San Francisco should be open to at least considering trade proposals for Aiyuk, in case any team is willing to provide the 49ers with enough draft capital to find a comparable replacement or two in the 2025 and '26 drafts. Given how the wide receiver market has exploded over the past few years, general manager John Lynch and Co. must weigh the pros and cons of paying a WR1 top dollar, especially considering how many plug-and-play playmakers the draft seems to churn out on an annual basis these days.
Many teams should be interested in kicking the tires on Aiyuk. The opportunity to add a talented WR1 with polished route-running skills and game-changing RAC (run after catch) doesn't come along every day. Moreover, Aiyuk's capacity to win against one-on-one coverage on key downs would enable him to become a trusted playmaker for any team looking for a dependable option on the outside.
Given how many quarterbacks could use a top-tier receiver to maximize potential, Aiyuk should theoretically have a bunch of suitors. Here are five teams to watch.
Aiyuk should appear quite enticing for the Commanders as they attempt to build around the unique talents of quarterback Jayden Daniels. The No. 2 overall pick has an established relationship with the receiver from their time together at Arizona State, and that chemistry could help the rookie find easy completions on the perimeter early in the season. In addition, the combination of Aiyuk and Terry McLaurin would give Washington's aerial attack a pair of bona fide big-play weapons on the perimeter. With at least one premier receiver facing one-on-one coverage on every down, Daniels would be able to operate in attack mode within Kliff Kingsbury's Air Raid system that produces plenty of home run opportunities. Oh, and first-year Commanders GM Adam Peters is quite familiar with Aiyuk, having spent the last seven years in San Francisco's front office.
The Patriots' new franchise quarterback needs a veteran WR1 to help him blossom as a pocket passer early in his career. Drake Maye flourished during his redshirt freshman season at North Carolina with a future pro (Josh Downs) anchoring the aerial attack through his spectacular route-running ability and playmaking skills. As an experienced playmaker with exceptional routes and running skills himself, Aiyuk is the perfect receiver to feature in an offense directed by a rookie starter. The versatile wideout can win on intricate vertical routes or catch-and-run concepts, which would enable the Patriots to maximize the WR1's usage while keeping the actual playbook small and concise for a young passer. Given New England's immense issues scoring points in 2023, adding a blue-chip pass catcher with big-play potential should be a top priority.
The Steelers are indeed masters at developing wideouts, but adding Aiyuk to a lineup that already features an emerging stud in George Pickens could create headaches for foes around the AFC. The potential duo possesses the size, length and athleticism to expose and exploit favorable matchups, while also providing Russell Wilson/Justin Fields with dependable pass-catching options on the perimeter. With new Steelers coordinator Arthur Smith adept at utilizing the running game and play-action concepts to create big-play opportunities down the field, the Steelers' offense could evolve into a scoring machine with Aiyuk and Pickens leading the way.
The Lions don't need to add another offensive weapon, with Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Sam LaPorta, David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs anchoring one of the most explosive attacks in football, but Aiyuk would give the unit an outside receiver with WR1 capabilities. Though the addition could disrupt the chemistry, rhythm and flow of a unit that already operates at a high level, the aggressive move could also make Detroit's offense impossible to defend. The team would enter the 2024 regular season without a glaring weakness on that side of the ball, while simultaneously decreasing the explosive potential of an NFC rival. (Which, to be frank, underscores why this deal probably won't take place.) If head coach Dan Campbell and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson could craft game plans that provide each of the Lions' top playmakers with sufficient touches, the lovable underdogs could quickly become Super Bowl favorites with Aiyuk joining the fold.
Despite having the lowest amount of cap space available of any team on this list ($11.5 million at publishing, per Over The Cap), the Giants would be wise to explore adding a No. 1 receiver to the lineup. Aiyuk would instantly give Big Blue the kind of versatile playmaker the franchise has been missing since Odell Beckham Jr. and his flamboyant game left New York in the 2019 offseason. Sure, No. 6 overall pick Malik Nabers could ultimately prove to be just that, but Aiyuk has already established himself at the professional level. While adding a high-priced wideout initially might not have been on general manager Joe Schoen's bingo card this offseason, acquiring Aiyuk would give the Giants a proven blue-chip player to build around. With defensive coordinators forced to respect his game and big-play potential by deploying double coverage or single-high looks with the safeties leaning in Aiyuk's direction, Giants running backs would face more light boxes and the other perimeter pass catchers would get more chances to win against one-on-one coverage.
Is Matt LaFleur bizarrely underrated?
Five seasons into his career as an NFL head coach, Matt LaFleur boasts a .675 winning percentage, second only to Jim Harbaugh (.695) among active HCs. And yet, the leader of the Green Bay Packers is rarely discussed as one of the league’s best. What gives?
Admittedly, I was initially guilty of downplaying LaFleur's accomplishments at the helm of a storied franchise with 13 total championships (nine NFL titles and four Super Bowl triumphs) on the ledger. Despite seeing LaFleur post 13 wins in each of his first three seasons, I attributed most of his success to the man under center. Four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers certainly deserves credit for helping LaFleur chalk up an astonishing number of wins early in his career, but my perspective on the coach significantly changed last season.
After trading Rodgers to the New York Jets last offseason, the 2023 Packers sputtered out of the gates and sat at 3-6 in mid-November, underscoring my original impression of LaFleur. But then Green Bay flipped the switch, going 6-2 down the stretch to snag a wild-card bid. During that span, first-year starting quarterback Jordan Love took his game to a whole other level, completing over 70 percent of his passes with an 18:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio and a 112.7 passer rating. Suddenly, nobody wanted to play the post-Rodgers Pack. In the postseason, Green Bay stormed Dallas and embarrassed the home team in a resounding 48-32 victory, with Love completing 16 of his 21 passes for 272 yards and three touchdowns, just missing a perfect passer rating. Traveling to San Francisco the following week, the Packers lost a nail-biter, 24-21. Still, Green Bay's showing over the final few months of last season was impossible to disregard. And the turnaround was a huge feather in LaFleur's cap. The young Packers created quite the buzz in league circles, setting them up as frisky NFC contenders heading into the 2024 campaign.
When reviewing the Packers’ roster and game tape, it is easy to see why observers are fawning over the rising team’s potential. General manager Brian Gutekunst and LaFleur have assembled a collection of young studs with enticing potential at the marquee positions, while perfectly matching the scheme to accentuate the talents of a quarterback who looks like the long-term answer in Titletown.
LaFleur’s offensive acumen was previously overshadowed by Rodgers’ excellence as a perennial MVP candidate, but the head coach’s best work has been transforming Love from a wild-card draft prospect in 2020 to a top-10 quarterback as a first-year starter in 2023. Love posted a 4,000-yard passing season with the second-most touchdown passes in the league (32). The two second-half interceptions in the Divisional Round loss at San Francisco left a bad taste, sure, but make no mistake about it: Love checks off all of the boxes as a high-end franchise quarterback.
In addition to the signal-caller's remarkable transformation, the impressive performance of the Packers’ young group of wide receivers (Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson, Dontayvion Wicks and Bo Melton) and tight ends (Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft) suggests the team’s development process is one of the best in the league. The versatile offensive line's ability to perform at a high level -- while plugging young players into the rotation in various roles -- further speaks to the exceptional work of the coaching staff under the offensive-minded LaFleur.
Defensively, the Packers hope new coordinator Jeff Hafley can make an immediate impact by implementing a “see ball, get ball” scheme that should benefit Green Bay's young, athletic defenders. The former Boston College head coach’s experience with collegians could help him craft a plan that enables the defense to play faster on the perimeter. And seeing how this franchise adheres to a “size, speed and length” draft philosophy, unlocking all of these physically gifted defenders should bear plenty of fruit for a defense that has underperformed in recent years.
If Green Bay's defense improves and the offense carries over its success from the back half of last season, watch out! The Packers could emerge as a true powerhouse, making a playoff run that results in LaFleur getting his flowers as one of the best coaches in the game.