Rumor has it that Brandon Aiyuk requested a trade, but according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, Aiyuk's agent has denied that he requested a trade. However, Aiyuk has been the subject of trade rumors for a while now. And who knows what the actual truth is, but it could lie somewhere in between. Every offseason, the Bills fans clamor over the possibility of adding this player or that player, and many don't consider the ramifications of such moves, or the feasibility. Would be nice to have a player like Aiyuk, 100 percent. But is the cost worth it, both from a trade assets and money perspective.
Brandon Aiyuk’s agent denies his client has requested a trade from the #49ers. https://t.co/8iDq7ubKyT
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) April 14, 2024
I have no doubt if the Bills really wanted to make something work, they could get it done and Aiyuk would make the Bills' receiver room better too. Any trade for him would likely include a first-round pick in the draft, either this year or next. We see how things turned out the last time Buffalo traded first round picks for a receiver. It was great for a while but then after a few seasons, quickly fell apart. Would Brandon Beane be willing to go down that road again? Let's not forget who the Vikings drafted with that pick they acquired from the Bills, that being Justin Jefferson. The Bills could be in a position to draft an elite receiver in this year's draft. Let's not mess this up again.
Is a Buffalo Bills trade for Brandon Aiyuk feasible?
The Bills are currently about $3.6 million under the cap and would need $14 million to execute a trade for Aiyuk. Sure, they can renegotiate an extension afterwards, but the team would need to have that $14 million initially to make an official trade. You can't just trade for some that puts you over the cap, then renegotiate. The deal as to work financially first, then you could potentially negotiate an extension that spreads 2024 money over the years of the extension. There are two reasons that I don't see the Bills doing this.
One, it doesn't make financial sense. Could Beane make it happen, probably but it would put the Bills in even greater cap jail than they are in right now. He's already done a ton just to get Buffalo under the cap and set themselves up to get out from under some of the bigger contracts beyond 2024. Keep in mind, this applies to any trade, for any player. Buffalo right now, doesn't have the cap space to make a big trade like this.
Secondly, Aiyuk will want a big payday. Do we want another Diggs like contract on the books. I don't know what his value is or what kind of money he's expecting, but we know he wants to get paid. That's where this whole issue arose from in the first place and I've heard the number is around $20 million annually. I'd rather Buffalo use their existing draft assets to stock up on receivers in this draft and hope that at least one of them is that guy. The Bills have traded first round picks in the past for Sammy Watkins and Stefon Diggs. Neither trade really worked out the way you would hope. Let's not do it again.