Trade for an All-Pro wide receiver might cost Browns. Nick Chubb and Wyatt Teller
The Cleveland Browns need an exceptional wide receiver to complement Amari Cooper, but at what cost?
Brandon Aiyuk, a breakout star for the San Francisco 49ers, has gained popularity among the Dawg Pound when his inner circle hinted at a potential relocation this offseason. However, given the organization’s current cap situation, signing a player like Aiyuk will come at a big cost elsewhere on the team.
On Saturday, February 17, Orange and Brown Report’s Jack Duffin presented the most likely possibilities for Cleveland’s salary cap room to accommodate Aiyuk.
“#Browns supporters are tweeting about adding Brandon Aiyuk. “There are two most obvious ways to generate the amount of cash required from non-guaranteed contracts: a) Cooper Gone; and b) Teller and Chubb Gone,” Duffin wrote. “Not saying this is the only route, but they are the most likely scenarios.”
Browns RB Nick Chubb Faces Roster Peril Regardless of Move for Brandon Aiyuk
The addition of Aiyuk would benefit quarterback Deshaun Watson and the air attack, but the loss of Nick Chubb and Wyatt Teller would significantly impact Cleveland’s running game. However, recent comments from GM Andrew Berry should be noted when discussing Chubb’s potential move in 2024.
On January 22, Berry stated, “I understand that’s a little bit the elephant in the room,” regarding Chubb’s deal, according to Zac Jackson of The Athletic. “Nobody wants that carry in Pittsburgh to be his last for the Browns. We need to work through some issues, but we hope to have him on the team.
For anyone who is familiar with Berry’s media style, it is about as near as he ever gets to publicly stating that a player’s future is in jeopardy. Chubb’s recent knee injury will cost him over $15.8 million against the cap in 2024. The team may save $11.8 million by releasing or trading him during the offseason.
Those types of savings make Chubb possibly expendable regardless, and moving on from him to make room for a borderline exceptional playmaker like Aiyuk at least makes Chubb’s departure worthwhile.
Teller, however, has two years left on his $56.8 million contract. Cleveland can save $6.2 million this year and $9.2 million in 2025 by releasing or dealing the three-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman with a post-June 1 designation.
Browns Unlikely to Part Ways With Amari Cooper in Any Scenario
The alternative route Duffin offered to Aiyuk is to terminate relations with Cooper, which essentially negates the point of pursuing the Niners receiver in the first place. The overall plan is to keep Cooper as 1A and add a strong player as 1B in the position group.
Cooper will cost the Browns about $24 million in 2024, the final year of his contract. Instead of releasing or selling Cooper, Cleveland is more likely to extend the wide receiver after his sixth Pro Bowl season. This will enable for a restructure that converts money into bonuses and dramatically reduces his cap cost while keeping Cooper on the team.
On February 4, Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com stated that the Browns have “zero” intention of moving Cooper after his 72 catches for 1,250 yards and 5 touchdowns in 2023.
Brandon Aiyuk Would Bolster Browns Offense, but Cost Would be Onerous
Combining Cooper’s productivity with Aiyuk’s in Cleveland would give Watson one of the top receiver tandems in the NFL.
Aiyuk’s trajectory is exactly what any organization would be looking for as he approaches his fifth season in 2024. He’s improved with each season, earning second-team All-Pro accolades last year after catching 75 passes for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns despite missing one game. Aiyuk had a career-high 17.9 yards per reception in 2023, marking his second consecutive 1,000-yard season.
The 49ers activated their fifth-year team option on Aiyuk’s deal, keeping the former first-round choice (No. 25 overall in 2020) under contract in 2024 for $14.1 million.
Trading the receiver is only a viable option if San Francisco cannot afford him in the long run, which is a possibility given the team’s current cap space of $571,000 and an expanding squad. However, if Aiyuk continues his upward trend, the Niners might franchise him in 2025, giving him one of the biggest annual salaries at the position during that season.
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