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The 49ers probably will lose Talanoa Hufanga when free agency starts this week.
Hufanga is a former All Pro who has battled injuries the past two seasons but still is merely 25. Some team will give him a lucrative two- or three-year contract, and that team probably won't be the 49ers. They simply don't have much cash to spend this offseason because most of their money is earmarked for Brock Purdy's extension.
Which brings us to Indianapolis Colts safety Julian Blackmon. He also will be a free agent this week, and he should be cheaper than Hufanga because he hasn't been a Pro Bowler or an All Pro.
The past three seasons, Blackmon's defensive coordinator was Gus Bradley who now is the 49ers assistant head coach, so there's a connection. Blackmon has a similar skill set as Jimmie Ward who was extremely successful on the 49ers under defensive coordinator Robert Saleh.
"Blackmon is at his best when he can be a true free safety and roam the middle of the field," writes The 33rd Team's Marcus Mosher. "But the fact that he can come down and play in the box will make him a fit on almost any defense. He's a willing tackler and has racked up more than 85 tackles in back-to-back seasons. However, his coverage ability is what makes him such an intriguing target in free agency.
"At only 26, Blackmon already has a strong resume and has a bunch of experience playing in multiple defenses. Expect Jevon Holland, Tre’Von Moehrig, and Justin Reid to get big money at the safety position. But don’t be surprised if Blackmon ends up being the best value."
The 49ers are searching for value this year in free agency. Don't be surprised if Blackmon is their only "big" signing."
More must-reads:
- Colts QB Anthony Richardson already dealing with another setback
- Lions CB undergoes shoulder surgery, will miss 2025 season
- The '2024-25 NFL passing-yard leaders' quiz
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Steelers Now Have A Surefire Solution To End Cam Heyward's Hold-In
The Pittsburgh Steelers got hit with quite a bit of interesting news on Thursday. It started when NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that veteran defensive lineman Cam Heyward was staging a hold-in, attending training camp but not fully participating as he seeks a new contract. Not long after that, kicker Chris Boswell was also reported to be interested in a new deal, adding another contract situation to the team’s growing list of concerns. As for Heyward, Steelers insider Mark Kaboly quickly suggested a possible solution that could effectively end the hold-in without requiring a full contract extension. Kaboly proposed the idea of adding incentives to Heyward’s existing deal, which would reward performance while avoiding a long-term financial commitment. He believes this compromise would allow the Steelers to show respect for Heyward’s contributions while keeping the team’s salary cap in check. Kaboly explained that the Steelers used a similar approach in 2016 with star wide receiver Antonio Brown. At the time, Brown was also seeking a new deal, and instead of offering an extension, the team added incentives to his contract to keep him satisfied for the season. The move kept Brown on the field and productive, and Kaboly believes this method could work just as well for Heyward, helping resolve the situation without complicating the team’s financial outlook. "Steelers don't restructure contracts until a year out, but Cam Heyward has 2 years remaining on his deal," Kaboly posted on his social media. "Here is the kicker and this is what I would use if I were Heyward: The Steelers worked some funny math with Antonio Brown in 2016 to get him a $4 million raise." Heyward just received a new deal ahead of the 2024 season. Now, Kaboly is pointing out that with two years remaining on his contract, the Steelers typically don’t restructure deals until there’s only one year left. However, Kaboly believes that if the team follows the same approach they used with Brown, it could help resolve Heyward’s situation. "They moved $4 million of AB's 2017 money to 2016, then tore up the contract in 2017 and made him the highest-paid WR in the NFL," Kaboly said. "AB got a $4 million raise, and the Steelers were able to keep their long-standing policy intact." Both sides could technically come out ahead with this approach. The money was going to Heyward anyway, but by advancing a portion of it to this year, he gets earlier financial recognition without requiring a full extension. Then, when the time comes to negotiate a new deal, both parties can do so in good faith, working toward a contract that makes sense for everyone involved. For now, moving some money forward would be a clear sign of appreciation for Heyward’s contributions and an acknowledgment of how the market has shifted for elite defensive linemen. It would also allow the Steelers to maintain their long-standing policy of waiting until a player enters the final year of his contract before negotiating an extension. Ultimately, it’s a short-term financial gesture that builds trust and buys time for a more permanent solution. Steelers And Cam Heyward Both Could Come Out As Winners This approach not only benefits Heyward financially in the short term but also helps preserve the relationship between the player and the organization. It shows the Steelers value his contributions and want to keep him motivated without rushing into long-term decisions prematurely. By handling things this way, the team retains flexibility in managing their salary cap and future roster moves. It also avoids the potential pitfalls of a large extension that might limit options later. For Heyward, it offers a sense of security and respect while keeping open the door for a more comprehensive agreement when the time is right.
Padres already demoting one of their trade-deadline acquisitions
The Padres announced they’ve optioned JP Sears to Triple-A El Paso. They recalled reliever Sean Reynolds and will go with a nine-man bullpen in the short term. Sears will spend at least 15 days in the minors unless he’s brought up to replace a player going on the injured list. San Diego acquired Sears alongside Mason Miller in last week’s massive deadline deal. The 29-year-old southpaw made his team debut Monday night. He allowed five runs in as many innings on 10 hits and a walk against the Diamondbacks. Sears took the loss in a 6-2 defeat. He’d carried a 4.95 earned run average over 22 starts with the A’s. Monday's performance pushed his ERA to 5.12 across 116 innings. It’s a bottom-10 mark among pitchers to log at least 100 frames. Sears had the highest home run rate among that group, offsetting his nearly league-average 20.3% strikeout rate and solid 6% walk percentage. This is the first time in two-and-a-half years that Sears heads to the minors. He broke camp with the A’s in 2023 and has been in the majors since then. Sears has also avoided the injured list for that entire time. As a result, he’s tied for fifth in MLB with 87 starts since the beginning of the ’23 season. The durability is the big selling point, as his production (4.62 ERA/4.56 SIERA) over that stretch is that of a fifth or sixth starter. The demotion shouldn’t have any impact on Sears’ service trajectory. He has already surpassed the three-year mark and will qualify for arbitration next winter. He’s under team control for three seasons beyond this one. While he’ll probably be back up at some point this year, it may require an injury elsewhere in the rotation. San Diego optioned Randy Vásquez over the weekend. They have a four-man rotation of Dylan Cease, Nick Pivetta, Yu Darvish and deadline acquisition Nestor Cortes. Darvish and Cortes will get the ball for the next two outings. San Diego is off Thursday and could turn back to Pivetta and Cease on extra rest for their first two games of the weekend series against the Red Sox. That’d point to the series finale on Aug. 10 as Michael King’s return date. King threw 61 pitches in what is expected to be his final rehab start on Sunday, via the MLB.com injury tracker. He’d be on six days' rest for his first MLB appearance since he went on the injured list in late May with a nerve problem in his throwing shoulder.
Warriors Rumors: Jonathan Kuminga, Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton, Seth Curry
The Golden State Warriors’ offseason continues to revolve around one question. Namely, what happens with Jonathan Kuminga? Golden State currently has just nine players signed to standard contracts, and the Kuminga standoff is slowing the rest of its roster moves. Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report reported that the Warriors are keeping Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton and Gary Payton II in a holding pattern until Kuminga’s situation is resolved. Malcolm Brogdon and Seth Curry remain on the team’s radar, with Javonte Green also a possible addition. The Kings and Suns have both explored sign-and-trade deals for Kuminga, but the Warriors haven’t been impressed with what’s been offered. Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints noted that those talks haven’t reached a serious stage, and there are no other known suitors at the moment. Warriors Stuck For Now? Cap expert Yossi Gozlan explained in his Third Apron column that Golden State is “probably stuck” until the Kuminga situation plays out. The Warriors are believed to have deals in place with Horford and Melton, but those signings can’t be finalized while Kuminga is still unsigned. If Golden State uses its taxpayer mid-level exception, it would be hard-capped at $207.8 million — opening the door for a rival with cap space to swoop in and make Kuminga a near $30 million per year offer the Warriors couldn’t match. Gozlan views a sign-and-trade as the most practical solution for both sides. If Kuminga re-signs, Golden State would likely aim for a deal in the $22–23 million per year range, which would allow the team to use the taxpayer MLE and add three more players on minimum contracts while staying below the hard cap. For now, all signs point to Kuminga remaining with the Warriors to start next season, but the impasse continues to hold up the rest of Golden State’s plans. More NBA News Rumors
Indiana Fever Insider Provides Caitlin Clark Injury Update
Indiana Fever superstar guard Caitlin Clark has been sidelined since July 15 with a groin injury that she suffered in the final moments of a game against the Connecticut Sun. Given that this was the third soft tissue injury that caused Clark to miss time during this 2025 WNBA season, it was clear that Indiana was going to be cautious in bringing her back to action. And this has been proven by Clark not only not playing since that game, but the franchise still has not provided a clear update on when fans can expect No. 22 to return to the court. Indiana Fever Insider Speaks On Caitlin Clark Injury Few people outside of the Fever's organization would have a better idea about the status of Clark's recovery than IndyStar Fever beat reporter Chloe Peterson. And Peterson got honest about what she has seen from Clark of late during an August 7 episode of IndyStar's Indiana Fever Insider Live podcast. "The most I know is what's already been reported, in the sense of [Clark] has been running up and down full speed. As far as I know, she hasn't come back to practice yet," Peterson said of Clark. "The last time I saw them in a practice capacity was on Tuesday. "Caitlin was there for the first couple minutes when everybody was just warming up, and then after they officially started shootaround, she left with a trainer to do some individual rehab, recovery work," Peterson continued. "She's participating in the half-court contests before each game, it seems like. But it doesn't look like she's doing drills with the team as of yet." ESPN's Holly Rowe Offers Clark Injury Update Peterson isn't the only insider who has spoken about Clark's injury of late, as ESPN reporter Holly Rowe said, "Stephanie White did give us a small update on Caitlin. That she has started some full-court running, some full-speed running, the last four or five days. Still not doing full basketball activities, but there has been some progress made," during the Fever's August 5 game. It's clear that Clark is making positive progress from her groin injury. However, given the recurring nature of these soft tissue injuries for No. 22 this season, combined with the Fever having played well when she has been sidelined to this point, it makes it likely that Indiana is going to continue to use caution in bringing Clark back on the court.
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