New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas “still is exploring the trade market” for a wide receiver, according to ESPN’s Rich Cimini.
Cimini reported Douglas “had some degree of interest” in Jerry Jeudy and Keenan Allen before they were dealt and cited the Cincinnati Bengals’ Tee Higgins and San Francisco 49ers’ Brandon Aiyuk as options still on the board.
Cimini cautioned that “there’s no concrete evidence to suggest either one is available.”
Higgins requested a trade from the Bengals, who nonetheless hold all of the cards since they applied the franchise tag to the 25-year-old. Faced with a similar situation with safety Jessie Bates III in 2022, Cincinnati held firm and kept him under contract before watching him walk as a free agent a year later.
An Aiyuk trade is plausible because he’s signed for just one more year in San Francisco. The situation hasn’t evolved to a point where his departure is a foregone conclusion, though. General manager John Lynch has shown a desire to ultimately sign the 26-year-old to a long-term deal.
Either Higgins or Aiyuk would be a great complement to Garrett Wilson in the passing game and help make up for the disastrous 2023 offseason. The total cost to acquire them could prove to be too steep for Douglas.
Beyond the draft compensation that would be sent to the 49ers or Bengals, Higgins or Aiyuk would presumably get a multiyear contract to accompany the trade to avoid them leaving after just one year.
That’s a big investment to make, especially for a franchise that already gave up so much to land quarterback Aaron Rodgers and accelerate its timeline for Super Bowl contention.
2024-03-17 12:37:43
#Jets #Eye #Aaron #Rodgers #Tee #Higgins #Brandon #Aiyuk #Buzz
