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The San Francisco 49ers will need to address several core positions before the 2025 regular season.
The 49ers' biggest question is what they will do with quarterback Brock Purdy, who has outplayed his seventh-round selection during his three years in the league.
The front office also needs to address the trenches. The 49ers could go with a defensive tackle, as Maliek Collins hasn't been the best replacement after losing Arik Armstead to free agency last spring.
Mike Renner of CBS Sports released a mock draft on Tuesday that has the 49ers looking to add depth to the offensive line. Renner projected San Francisco to select Minnesota Golden Gophers star offensive tackle Aireontae Ersery with the No. 17 pick to eventually take over for Trent Williams.
"The 49ers' offensive line is dangerously thin," Renner wrote. "We've seen that when Trent Williams has been forced to miss time this year. Aireontae Ersery could very well be the left tackle in waiting for the 49ers going forward as he's shown improvement in all three years as a starter."
Williams is under contract through 2026 and is playing well this season, earning an 85.6 overall grade by Pro Football Focus.
However, at 36, the 49ers should consider adding a swing tackle that could replace Williams when his output inevitability declines, especially if San Francisco intends to invest heavily in paying Purdy.
Ersery is a highly decorated college athlete for Minnesota. The three-star recruit out of Ruskin High School in Kansas City earned Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year and first-team All-Big Ten honors in 2024 and second-team All-Big Ten honors in 2023.
PFF ranks Ersery as the fourth-best offensive tackle in the 2025 draft. With zone-blocking being one of his strengths, Ersery would be a natural fit for head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense.
More must-reads:
- Yankees not close to done adding ahead of trade deadline
- Yankees have finally found their third baseman in Ryan McMahon
- The 'NBA Summer League MVPs' quiz
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College football realignment news: North Carolina has handshake agreement with SEC, per report
North Carolina could have a way out of the ACC and into the SEC already in place if the situation arose where the school could make a move, as college football conference realignment rumors start to build again leading into the 2025 season. UNC has a “handshake agreement” in place with the SEC to make a move to that conference in the future if the opportunity presents itself, The Post and Courier’s Scott Hamilton told The Paul Finebaum Show. And the Tar Heels don’t appear to be alone in that regard, as Virginia appears to have a similar understanding in place with the Big Ten for a prospective move, Hamilton said. North Carolina would appear to be the school most interested in making a move out of the ACC, with Clemson and Florida State being the other schools most likely to plan an exit in the years to come, he added. “I think it’s UNC No. 1, then I think it’s Florida State-Clemson, Clemson-Florida State No. 2 after that,” Hamilton said. North Carolina would appear to be an attractive target for the SEC not only in football, but arguably more for the school’s success in basketball, its association with Jordan Brand, its academic standing, and its reputation in non-revenue and Olympic sports. That talk follows an Inside Carolina report that emerged late last week that North Carolina was aiming for a move to the SEC in the years to come, should events align to allow the school to exit the ACC at some point. Rumors about ACC members looking to leave the conference have arisen in the weeks after the conference settled lawsuits brought against it by Florida State and Clemson, resulting in new terms for how the league will distribute money to its member schools in the future. As part of that settlement, the exit fee to leave the ACC is scheduled to come down in the years to come, which could incentivize member schools to plan an exit at a cheaper price in search for a more profitable conference. Naturally, the SEC and Big Ten would be the most attractive destinations in terms of their respective media deals. If a school leaves the ACC in 2025-26, they would still owe the league a massive $165 million exit fee. That figure drops to $147 million in 2026-27, then to $129 million in 2027-28, to $111 million in 2028-29, and to $93 million in 2029-30. Industry experts contend the ACC should almost certainly remain intact through that time, but things could get more interesting starting in 2030, when the exit fee will shrink to $75 million. This isn’t the first we’ve heard about North Carolina scouting a possible exit from the ACC. The school was among the so-called “Magnificent Seven” that rebelled behind the scenes against the league two years ago looking for a bigger share of the financial pie. And while the ACC’s new arrangement should help those schools secure a stronger revenue base in the short term, it appears some are still looking for greener pastures in the years to come. --
Why as many as 100 NFL players are facing fines and potential suspension
There is not a bigger sporting event in North America than the Super Bowl, and tickets are only getting more expensive every year. There is also a ridiculous secondary market for tickets where seats sell for well above the original face value. It is usually fans or ticket resellers going for a quick profit. But as was reported on Friday, sometimes it can be players in the NFL looking to make a profit. According to multiple reports, including the Associated Press and ESPN, more than 100 players are facing fines and potential suspensions for selling their allotment of tickets to this year's Super Bowl between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs for above face value. Players are reportedly facing fines of one-and-a-half times the face value they originally paid for the tickets, while they are also prevented from purchasing tickets to the Super Bowl for the next seasons. The Associated Press obtained a memo from the NFL detailing the violation and investigation. That memo was as follows: “Our initial investigation has determined that a number of NFL players and coaches, employed by several NFL Clubs, sold Super Bowl tickets for more than the ticket’s face value in violation of the Policy. This long-standing League Policy, which is specifically incorporated into the Collective Bargaining Agreement, prohibits League or Club employees, including players, from selling NFL game tickets acquired from their employer for more than the ticket’s face value or for an amount greater than the employee originally paid for the ticket, whichever is less. We are in the process of completing our investigation into this matter, but the investigation has revealed that club employees and players sold their tickets to a small number of ‘bundlers’ who were working with a ticket reseller to sell the Super Bowl tickets above face value.” If players are not willing to pay the fine, they could be facing suspension from the league. It seems unlikely that any of the players — none of whom have been named, or their teams — would refuse to pay such a fine. It's also one of those moments where you can say, professional athletes — they're still normal people trying to make a quick buck. The most logical answer here is perhaps some of the players caught up in this are younger players who have not yet struck it rich on a big contract or perhaps even practice squad players who are not making top dollar.
ESPN Predicts Mets-Twins Trade One Week Before Deadline
The New York Mets are a half-game ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies for first place in the NL East, but their pitching staff is still injury-ravaged despite the recent returns of Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas. Brandon Waddell (hip), Dedniel Nuñez (elbow), Max Kranick (flexor), Paul Blackburn (shoulder), Tylor Megill (elbow), Griffin Canning (Achilles), Drew Smith (elbow), A.J. Minter (lat), Danny Young (elbow), and Christian Scott (elbow) are alll on the Mets' IL. The MLB Trade Deadline is July 31 at 6 p.m. EST, so the front office has one week to add healthy arms from around the league this season. ESPN's David Schoenfield predicted on Thursday that New York would trade for a Minnesota Twins reliever. "One guarantee of the trade deadline: The Mets will add to the bullpen, probably with more than one trade. Though the rotation still ranks fifth in ERA, that was built off a hot start," he wrote. "More importantly, the only Mets starter to complete six innings since June 7 has been David Peterson. As a result, manager Carlos Mendoza has run relievers Reed Garrett, Huascar Brazoban, Jose Butto and Ryne Stanek into the ground. The bullpen had a 2.78 ERA through May, but that figure is over 5.00 since the beginning of June (ranking near the bottom of the majors)." "The Twins have two high-profile relievers in [Jhoan] Duran and [Griffin] Jax, both of whom are under team control through 2027, so they'll be much more expensive than your usual short-term relievers if the Twins decide to trade one or both," he continued. "Duran would be harder to deal -- but bring more in return -- so we'll say Jax will go. Don't be fooled by his 4.09 ERA: He has 68 strikeouts and 12 walks in 44 innings with a 97-mph heater. He's an elite strikeout reliever, the type you want on the mound in October." The Mets are hot despite their injuries, as they're on a four-game winning streak and just swept the Los Angeles Angels. Next up is a road trip against the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres. New York right-handed pitcher Clay Holmes (8-5, 3.48 ERA) will face Giants right-hander Logan Webb (9-7, 3.08 ERA) on Friday.
Yankees have finally found their third baseman in Ryan McMahon
After years of speculation and nothing materializing, the New York Yankees have at last acquired third baseman Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies, per the New York Post's Jon Heyman. Pitching prospects Griffin Herring and Josh Grosz are headed to the Mile High City in return. They were the number eight and 21st-ranked prospects in the Yankees' farm system, per MLB.com. Given the Yankees' struggles at the third-base position over the last few years, bringing in a guy who was an All-Star in 2024 and will be much more reliable is a win. Former MLB player and current analyst Cameron Maybin certainly believes that, as he was pushing the McMahon-to-New York narrative over the last week and feels it could be a great fit for both sides. "The third baseman they need plays in Colorado...I'm telling you! Defensively more than adequate and Taylor made for the ballpark offensively," Maybin wrote on social media. Maybin went on to mention how McMahon will feel reinvigorated joining a World Series contender like the Yankees after the last six-and-a-half years of being at the bottom in Colorado. The 30-year-old is not having his best season, slugging 16 home runs and 35 RBI with a .217 average through 100 games with the Rockies, per MLB.com stats. However, he's consistently been a 20-plus home run hitter who drives in runs at a strong rate and has a large sample size of doing so. Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez (.252 average, 36 HRs, 86 RBI) has seemed to be No. 1 target for most teams, and for good reason, but given the Yankees' current situation and weaknesses, McMahon made more sense. Not only does he play a better third base, which New York desperately needs, but he has another two years of control after 2025, whereas Suarez would have been a rental. The acquisition cost was nothing crazy, and adding a lefty bat with some power to potentially take advantage of the short porch at Yankee Stadium is always a bonus. Some may not be satisfied until they see McMahon positively impacting the New York Yankees, but rest assured, this is a very solid pickup.
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