Adam Schefter on why Patriots opted out of Brandon Aiyuk trade

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

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, New England “decided not to explore any further trade possibilities” involving Aiyuk. Exactly why the Patriots stepped out of the pursuit of a deal wasn’t immediately apparent, but Schefter later offered some additional details.

Speaking during a SportsCenter interview on Tuesday evening, 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 issue,” Schefter explained. “But they weren’t getting a great vibe here as they tried to conduct communication with Brandon Aiyuk and his agent.

“The longer it went on, the worse they felt about it,” he added. “Eventually, they said, ‘What are we doing here? Let’s just focus in on the young receivers we have.’ They feel like they’re 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 to not try and force something just for the sake of it.

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