With the 2024 NFL Draft less than a week away, it's common for the rumor mill to start churning, especially with players who are actively seeking a new contract. It was just two short years ago that WR Deebo Samuel requested a trade from the San Francisco 49ers prior to draft day, only for cooler heads to prevail and eventually agree to a new deal.
Now, it's WR Brandon Aiyuk's turn to try and get paid and rumors surfaced over the weekend that he too would request to be dealt. While that report was quickly shot down by his agent, there's still a lot of discussion about Aiyuk's future and if other teams will come calling on draft night.
Legendary columnist Mike Silver joined the No Huddle Podcast to discuss Aiyuk, what he thought of the possibility of the star receiver getting dealt and what an extension might look like.
"I don't think they would move him for less than a first-round pick," Silver said."And I don't think that offer's on the table right now and I'm not sure it will be, so that's the good news for 49er fans that understandably want him back and Deebo and (George) Kittle there too. I don't think there's a first-round value right now that's out there, that could change, and I don't think they trade him for a second day pick."
So if Aiyuk does indeed get through draft weekend and is still wearing red and gold, what would it take to get an extension done? Silver believes a good starting point is Samuel's contract.
"To me the Deebo deal is what you're looking at too because they did that under duress. On paper you didn't really want to do that. The value of Deebo to the Niners is higher than it is to any other team, I believe, and there's a lot of intangible but I think you probably aren't getting Aiyuk to take that or less. So that to me is a number that's interesting."
In addition to the conversation on Aiyuk, Silver also shared his thoughts on how the 49ers might handle their impending free agents in the secondary. Specifically, how might the team prioritize the contracts of Charvarius Ward, Deommodore Lenoir, and Talanoa Hufanga?
You can watch the entire interview here:
