The Las Vegas Raiders were never meant to have a part in the Brandon Aiyuk saga, but an X user tied the Silver and Black to the San Francisco wideout anyway. Per the X user’s claim, the Raiders were ready to hand Davante Adams over to the 49ers for Aiyuk and a third-round pick. This rumor quickly picked up steam on X and fans of the NFL awaited a swap of All-Pro wideouts.
Two weeks later, not only are the Raiders not one of the finalists left in the running for Aiyuk, but they were never involved to begin with. Perhaps that’s why the X user decided to delete all tweets mentioning Adams and the Niners.
And just like that, the long-lasting Las Vegas Raiders-Brandon Aiyuk saga comes to a screeching halt.
That doesn’t mean San Francisco won’t trade their second-team All-pro, though; it just won’t be a trade involving Sin City. Per NBC Sports, the final two teams battling for Aiyuk are the New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns. The outlet was also informed that Pittsburgh and Washington were involved, but at the moment have elected not to meet San Francisco’s price.
According to Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot, the Browns would “undoubtedly have to give San Francisco five-time Pro Bowler Amari Cooper.” As for the Patriots, former 49er Kendrick Bourne is assumed to be part of the offer for Brandon Aiyuk.
The Raiders won’t be landing Aiyuk, but they will need to find a replacement for the recently retired Michael Gallup. Can D.J. Turner or Kristian Wilkerson fill Gallup’s shoes? If not, perhaps camp standout Ramel Keyton will be able to.
Las Vegas will find out as the preseason progresses.
The Las Vegas Raiders’ mission to replace Michael Gallup continues onward
Preseason will be key in figuring out which receiver(s) get an increased role with Gallup now out of the picture. For veterans Kristian Wilkerson and D.J. Turner, the two presumed frontrunners in replacing Gallup, earning their keep through preseason play is nothing new.
In 2022, D.J. Turner forced his way onto the 53-man roster through his preseason performances. The 27-year-old recorded six catches on seven targets, totaling 93 yards and the only touchdown among all Raiders receivers.
Wilkerson did the same in 2023.
Through three preseason contests, Wilkerson totaled a team-high 17 receptions for 188 yards. The former Patriot quickly became Aidan O’Connell’s favorite target, and at the preseason’s end, Wilkerson claimed one of the 53 active roster spots.
Unfortunately for both Turner and Wilkerson, they’ve yet to have a chance at showcasing their talents during the regular season. Turner hasn’t caught any passes in his career beyond the preseason, although he does have a rushing touchdown to his name.
And while Wilkerson didn’t have any targets for the Raiders last season, he did notch two touchdowns with the Patriots in 2021.
Sunday’s matchup against Minnesota will mark the pair’s first chance at proving they deserve an increased role in the offense.
*Top Photo: Getty Images