Adam Schefter on why Patriots opted out of Brandon Aiyuk trade

Patriots

“The longer it went on, the worse it made them feel.”

The Patriots were set to be one of the teams in the running to try to acquire 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk in a trade, but reportedly shelved the deal.

According to ESPN’s Adam SchefterNew England”decided not to investigate any further trade opportunities” involving Aiyuk. Exactly why the Patriots pulled out of the pursuit of a deal wasn’t immediately clear, but Schefter later offered some additional details.

Speaking under one Interview with SportsCenter on Tuesday night, Schefter outlined the Patriots’ thought process regarding Aiyuk.

“New England had the parameters of a trade in place with San Francisco. That wasn’t the problem,” Schefter explained. “But they didn’t get a good vibe here when they tried to communicate with Brandon Aiyuk and his agent.

“The longer it went on, the worse it made them feel,” he added. Finally they said, ‘What are we doing here? Let’s just focus on the young receivers we have.’ They feel they are excited about them.”

The Patriots currently have rookie wide receivers Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker working through their first NFL training camps. New England also has younger wide receivers DeMario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte, Jalen Raegor and Tyquan Thornton among a crowded depth chart at the position.

Schefter noted that the move was a conscious decision by New England’s front office not to try to force something just for the sake of it.

“Instead of going ahead and giving up a huge amount of compensation to the 49ers — after or before they gave up what would be a huge contract to Brandon Aiyuk that he didn’t seem too receptive to getting — they said, ‘We’re just going to stand clap and stand down.’ So, the Patriots have bowed out and they will not pursue any further trade for Brandon Aiyuk.”