Who Should I Start? Brandon Aiyuk or James Proche

Tuesday, April 23, 4:58 PM

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has been in trade rumors ever since the team lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII. Although general manager John Lynch has seemingly tried to shut down trade rumors, NFL insider Michael Silver said a potential trade is still "very much in play." "To this point, the 49ers have asked for a 2024 first-round pick," Silver wrote. An executive for another team reportedly said the asking price is too high, while another league general manager said he believes the 49ers might ultimately accept a second-round selection. Aiyuk's camp is reportedly asking for an average salary of around $25 million, a price that San Francisco has been unwilling to offer. The 26-year-old could be a true No. 1 wide receiver for another organization, but the target competition on the 49ers roster has made it more difficult for him to be a consistent producer.

Tuesday, March 19, 7:22 PM

The Cleveland Browns re-signed wide receiver/kick returner James Proche II to an undisclosed deal on Tuesday. Proche, a former sixth-round selection by the Baltimore Ravens in 2020 out of SMU, didn't catch any of his five targets in 10 regular-season games (one start) in 2023 in his first year with the Browns. He did, however, return 22 points for 197 yards and one kickoff for a gain of 19 yards last year. The 27-year-old has a grand total of 25 career receptions on 45 targets for 278 yards and no touchdowns in 53 games (one start) in his four NFL seasons, so he's not going to be a factor suddenly on offense for Cleveland in 2024. Proche will, however, give the Browns another option to return kicks on special teams yet again.