Julian Blackmon recently re-signed with the Indianapolis Colts on a one-year deal, but the young safety does not seem too thrilled about it.
Earlier this week, Blackmon spoke about his new contract with the Colts and told reporters that he feels he is worth more than that.
“It’s a one-year deal, and for me, I feel like my value is worth more than one year, but unfortunately, we all saw how the market went,” Blackmon said, via Kevin Patra of NFL.com. “So it was what I was dealt. I’m happy with how it ended up.”
Blackmon’s deal can pay him up to $7.7 million.
It seems to be the new normal for safeties, whose importance has certainly diminished in recent years. We saw several notable safeties get cut before free agency, and many of them are still available.
“I think it was something similar to how it was for the running backs a year ago,” Blackmon said. “It just kind of shows you that you’ve got to be prepared for anything. It’s one of those things where you can never truly say that you’ve got it. Especially when there’s so much talent in the NFL. For me, it’s just one of those things where I just tried to take it for what it was. It was a unique situation, especially going into my first free agency.”
Blackmon is coming off of a 2023 campaign in which he played 15 games and registered 88 tackles, four interceptions, a couple of fumble recoveries and eight passes defended.
The 25-year-old, who played his collegiate football at the University of Utah, was selected by the Colts in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
He has been a solid contributor for Indianapolis ever since and added that he wants to finish his career in Indy if that ends up being a possibility.
We’ll see if Julian Blackmon can play himself into a bigger contract next season.
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There may be more to Christian Wilkins’ recent surprise release from the Las Vegas Raiders. NFL reporter Josina Anderson reported Saturday that "some sources believe an incident involving a teammate may have factored in-part into the Raiders' fatigue and release" of Wilkins. The nature of the incident is not clear. However, many believe the Raiders had a very good reason to move on from Wilkins considering the money they had invested in him. It also suggests the Raiders saw no alternative if they went straight to a release. Wilkins was dumped by the Raiders just one year into a four-year, $110 million deal. The Raiders suggested Wilkins failed to take rehab seriously as he tries to work his way back from a foot injury. Other teams do not appear to have the same concerns about Wilkins as the Raiders did, and he should find a new landing spot fairly easily. That is one of the reasons some suspect there is more to the Raiders’ decision than they are publicly saying.
Major League Baseball's hottest team cooled down a bit over the weekend. The Milwaukee Brewers just lost their first series since Jul. 3, dropping two of three to the sneaky Miami Marlins. With the trade deadline looming, they'll now shift their focus to a series with the Chicago Cubs that will decide who leaves with sole possession of first place in the National League Central. This Cubs team is ferocious, and it's going to be a tough battle the rest of the way. The Brewers could certainly use one more big bat to tilt the scales in their favor - a bat very much like Eugenio Suárez of the Arizona Diamondbacks, perhaps. One baseball writer believes that a major third base upgrade is on its way to Milwaukee. On Sunday, Matt Johnson of Sportsnaut predicted that Suárez would be traded to the Brewers by Thursday's deadline, giving Milwaukee a .904 OPS and 36 home runs to add to its lineup, which lacks power. "The New York Yankees took themselves out of the mix for Eugenio Suarez with the Ryan McMahon trade and the Seattle Mariners already made a deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks for first baseman Josh Naylor. There are still a few viable suitors for Suarez, but those clubs also need to balance their needs for starting pitching," wrote Johnson. "Enter the Milwaukee Brewers. Suarez is perfect for a team that has the fifth-lowest OPS (.609) at third base this season. He’ll round out the Brewers’ lineup nicely, pairing with a deep pitching staff to help Milwaukee earn a playoff spot." Just because the Yankees and Mariners are somewhat less likely than they were a few days ago to nab Suárez doesn't mean the coast is clear. The Cubs themselves could be in on the two-time All-Star, as could the Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers, and Houston Astros. Milwaukee has to be decisive in the next four days. If they think Suárez is the bat to put them over the top, they have to give up at least one high-caliber prospect, which is always tough to do for a player headed to free agency at the end of the year.
With the trade for Ryan McMahon now complete, it would seem New York Yankees’ general manager Brian Cashman has fulfilled one of his three priorities. He can now cross third base off the list, which leaves the rotation and bullpen as his remaining priorities. However, according to one Yankees writer, Cashman might not be done with the infield. Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reported this after the McMahon trade: “The Yankees may not be done adding to their infield. A team source said the Yankees are interested in adding a right-handed hitter who could play the infield.” Kirschner adds that the Yankees have had interest in Willi Castro and Amed Rosario. But the question now is, how would another player fit into the Yankees’ infield? Needless to say, Paul Goldschmidt and Jazz Chisholm Jr. aren’t going anywhere, and McMahon is just getting there. That leaves the low-hanging fruit. Anthony Volpe has been at the center of controversy all this season. His 13 errors, many of which had come at make-or-break moments, amount to the second-highest total in the game. In addition, his bat has not been able to compensate, hitting .217/.288/.408 with 14 home runs. There was always a lot to like about Volpe. He won a Gold Glove in his rookie year, his power has always been promising and his speed is nothing to scoff at. Unfortunately, his glove has become a liability, and his speed has also produced very few results. Volpe has swiped just 10 bags in 17 attempts. His power is the one thing that still has some upside, but it hasn’t been enough to justify a spot in the lineup. Both Castro and Rosario have been far more productive at the plate this season than Volpe. Kirschner doesn’t clarify how serious the Yankees are in their pursuit of another infielder, but that most likely isn’t available information. Having just turned 24, Volpe could still become the type of player that was expected from him as a top prospect. However, his recent performance has weighed heavily on his team’s efforts, and it may be buying him a ticket out of the Bronx — or at least a spot on the bench.
Myles Turner had spent the first ten seasons of his career playing for the Indiana Pacers. Last year, the former Texas star helped lead the franchise to the NBA Finals for the first time in 25 years. However, Turner shockingly signed with the Milwaukee Bucks earlier this month. Via ESPN's Shams Charania (on July 1): " Free agent center Myles Turner has agreed to a four-year, $107 million deal with the Milwaukee Bucks, plus a player option for year four in 2028-29 and a full 15% trade kicker, sources tell ESPN. Stunner." One person who reacted to the signing was New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson (via Roommates Show). Brunson: "I thought the Myles Turner thing was like weird... You know what's crazy about that? I feel like he was on the trading block like every year... It was like that for at least five, six years." Turner finished his final year in Indiana with averages of 15.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 2.0 blocks per contest while shooting 48.1% from the field and 39.6% from the three-point range in 72 games. He was the 11th pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. As for Brunson, he led the Knicks to the 2025 Eastern Confernece finals They lost to Turner and the Pacers (in six games). Brunson (who has been with New York for three seasons) had averages of 26.0 points, 2.9 rebounds and 7.3 assists per contest while shooting 48.8% from the field and 38.3% from the three-point range in 65 games.
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