There is a saying about boats that comes to mind when I see the constant rumors about Brandon Aiyuk. The saying goes: The two best days in a boat owner’s life are the day they buy a boat, and the day they sell it. I think that can be altered to perfectly fit every team in the NFL: the two best days of an NFL GM are the day they acquire a high priced diva receiver, and the day they trade him away.

The talk on Brandon Aiyuk is hitting insane levels. For example, on the day I wrote this, my tv was telling me courtesy of First Things First that it was a done deal. Well, actually I was reading it, as I always have those talking head shows on mute. The on screen graphics stated: Report – Steelers and 49ers verbally agree on Aiyuk deal. On top of that was the discussion graphic: Expect Steelers to make playoffs?

I don’t know why I have these shows on, as the discussion earlier in the day centered around how Arthur Smith’s scheme fits Justin Fields much better than Russell Wilson. Smith runs true under center play action. I watched every snap Fields took last year, and he only ran an under center play action play 24 times. Play action means turning your back to the defense, requiring a QB to quickly read a defense, and that is not Justin’s strong suit. Fields has played most of his career in an RPO scheme out of shotgun. I’m no expert on play design, but even to the casual observer, those are obviously two different skill sets. Whether or not he can adapt to this scheme is a work in progress and remains to be seen.

Here at SCN, we have a Slack channel that will positively blow up when there is breaking news, and it is usually way ahead of the network shows. I looked at my phone…crickets. I un-muted the tv to make sure the talking heads were talking about the thing the graphic said they were talking about, and boy, were they ever. As far as that show was concerned, the boat was being parked in the driveway and the HOA was already complaining about it, to continue my analogy to start this article. I looked at my phone again, and finally it chimed. I’m proud to say this group was debunking all of the reports stating the trade was done because every reliable source said no deal had been made at all.

Thirty minutes passed, and I waited on First Things First to issue a correction, but instead, they doubled down with a brand new segment discussing if it would be a better fit if Fields started over Wilson now that Aiyuk was a Steeler. Wow. These talking heads really know how to make a meal out of declaring Justin Fields the starter for some reason. I checked the Slack channel again. Nope. No new discussions between the teams, and while there may be interest, Brandon remained as a member of the 49ers for now.

Now that we have established that the Steelers have the same amount of receivers that they did when the day started as I write this, let’s take a breath and evaluate the pros and cons of this potential trade.

Does it make sense to buy a fancy new boat when you already have a super cool one in the driveway named George Pickens? This new Brandon boat will cost $30M a year, but the loan on the George boat you already have will need to be refinanced soon, and that sweet introductory low interest rate and easy monthly payment deal is going away. Can you swing paying for both at once? And what happens when one boat gets jealous after it doesn’t get to go to the lake? You barely take the one you have now out enough to keep it happy as it is. The last thing you need is an expensive boat that you can’t afford throwing a temper tantrum for all the neighbors to see. They are the ones that sent all the nasty messages to the HOA in the first place.

In more direct football terms, this is a run heavy 12 personnel offense with two quarterbacks that are new to the team. There is a reason there are like seventeen tight ends on the roster right now. Ok, that’s an exaggeration, but you get the point. There will not be enough balls to go around for two superstar wide receivers. I know Coach Tomlin likes the expression of two dogs and one bone, but if those dogs are starving, they might just kill each other to get it. Team chemistry is a real thing, and right now it feels really good. There is no doubt that adding Brandon Aiyuk improves the wide receiver room, but that does not necessarily mean it will improve the team. Sometimes less is more.

The Steelers also have no idea what their quarterbacks will cost next year. Considering that, it probably isn’t wise to invest so heavily in the wide receiver position going into a season with two new signal callers both playing with one year deals. One might play so well that a more normal salary is warranted, or both might not succeed at all, putting the team back in the market for a high priced free agent while trying to draft for the future.

Personally, I hope they don’t trade for Aiyuk. GM Omar Khan certainly seems content to let the situation play out, so I don’t think he wants to overpay for the trade. If he does manage to get it done, it would have to be for far less than what the 49ers and Aiyuk both want. The offense has many questions to address this season, and each game will be a learning experience as they work out the kinks of a new system. Reports out of training camp point to George Pickens and Van Jefferson making plays and impressing the coaching staff. The Steelers need to make sure they can operate the boats they already have before bringing home an expensive impulse buy that might just cause a divorce.

The Steelers are not a wide receiver away from winning a Super Bowl, but all signs point to an improved roster with a better game plan this year. Brandon Aiyuk is a great wide out, and I’m sure he will make plays for whatever team he ends up on this year. If he is a Steeler, we will welcome him. Whether or not it would be a wise decision is yet to be seen. Now, if you will excuse me, I have to go see a man about a boat.