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The San Francisco 49ers have had a rough all-around offseason. After missing the playoffs in 2024, they have lost a lot of talent to other teams in free agency.
At the same time, the 49ers have not been able to do much to replace the talent that they have lost.
Heading out of town are wide receiver Deebo Samuel, linebacker Dre Greenlaw, offensive lineman Aaron Banks, offensive tackle Jaylon Moore, running back Elijah Mitchell, quarterback Joshua Dobbs, defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, defensive tackle Maliek Collins, cornerback Charvarius Ward, and safety Talanoa Hufanga.
San Francisco has brought in tight end Luke Farrell, safety Richie Grant, linebacker Luke Gifford, safety Jason Pinnock, wide receiver Demarcus Robinson, cornerback Tre Brown, and quarterback Mac Jones.
With that being said, the 49ers could add more talent if the price is right.
Cory Woodroof of For The Win has projected that San Francisco will end up landing New York Giants free agent defensive end Azeez Ojulari.
"The 49ers need more help on the defensive line, and Ojulari is the exact kind of player who goes to San Francisco, thrives for a bit and then gets paid elsewhere down the road," Woodroof wrote.
Ojulari would be well worth taking a look at. Spotrac currently has him projected to land a two-year, $15 million contract, which would be a reasonable price for him.
During the 2024 season with the Giants, Ojulari recorded 28 tackles, six sacks, and a fumble recovery in 11 games. He is just 24 years old and has plenty of room to develop.
Adding Ojulari alongside Nick Bosa would be worth a shot for the 49ers.
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The Pittsburgh Steelers are still very hopeful that they will be able to sign future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers to be their starter during the 2025 NFL season. Over the last few weeks, there have been constant rumors and updates about Rodgers and the Steelers. It does seem likely that they are the front-runner to land Rodgers, but there are major questions about what they will do if they're unable to bring him onboard. Pittsburgh has made one quarterback move this offseason. They brought back veteran Mason Rudolph after he spent one season with the Tennessee Titans. If Rodgers doesn't sign, is there a chance that Rudolph would be the starter in 2025? Mike Tomlin, the Steelers' longtime head coach, offered his thoughts on the subject. As shared by Dale Lolley of Steelers.com, Tomlin would be "comfortable" with the idea of Rudolph being his starting quarterback this season. "That's why we brought him back," Tomlin said. "I'm comfortable with that. We've been there before. He's very capable." Rudolph is coming off of a season with the Titans in 2024 where he picked up some starts over Will Levis. He played in eight games, completing 64% of his pass attempts for 1,530 yards, nine touchdowns, and nine interceptions. Back in 2023 with Pittsburgh, Rudolph played in four games, completing 74.3% of his passes for 719 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions. While it would not be the best option, Rudolph has been a starter for the Steelers before. He has played well when given those opportunities and has earned Tomlin's trust if that ends up being the case in 2025.
Pete Alonso addresses re-signing with Mets after Blue Jays rumors
First baseman Pete Alonso and the New York Mets will complete games at the Miami Marlins on Tuesday and Wednesday before the Amazins head back toward the Big Apple to prepare for Friday's home opener versus the Toronto Blue Jays. Per Will Sammon of The Athletic, Alonso recently spoke about signing a two-year contract that included a player opt-out following this season to return to the Mets after numerous stories linked him with the Blue Jays this past winter. "You have to think of what’s presented," Alonso said about his free-agency decision. "Of course, you have to think and talk and think things over. But ultimately, this was the best decision, best place and best circumstance. Not just the history, but what we’re doing with the future. It was a very easy decision." Alonso repeatedly made it known before he reached free agency that he loved featuring only for the Mets from when he made his MLB debut in 2019 through the final game of the 2024 National League Championship Series. Nevertheless, it appeared to outsiders that Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns had little interest in locking Alonso down via a new deal until angry fans let Stearns and team owner Steve Cohen know during an event that they wanted the "Polar Bear" back. Cohen ultimately got the deal done with agent Scott Boras before spring training began. "I knew everything that was going on the entire time," Alonso said about his free-agency journey. "There was no point where I was in the dark or wondering. For other people that didn’t have a look behind the curtain, that’s where they say, 'Oh, it was a crazy offseason.' No, it wasn’t. For me, I got to see the whole process — I had everything in front of me." For the second straight year, Alonso is facing the reality that he could soon play in the final home opener of his Mets tenure. The 30-year-old often received loud ovations during spring training games held in Port St. Lucie, and the fan-favorite should be quite popular among paying customers at Citi Field on Friday afternoon. "You get to enjoy it in the moment for maybe less than two seconds because then it’s game time," Alonso said about what he'll hear ahead of his first at-bat on Friday. "But then, really, you enjoy it more when you think back and reflect." Alonso insisted he was focused on taking "care of business here in Miami first" rather than on Friday's contest or his pursuit of the Mets' franchise record for career home runs. The Mets will need a non-pressing version of Alonso at the plate throughout the spring and summer as they look to do more than just return to the playoffs this coming fall.
The eye-opening Doc Rivers take that has Warriors’ Stephen Curry nodding in agreement
The Golden State Warriors have been a machine when both Jimmy Butler and Stephen Curry have been in the lineup. The Warriors currently sit in sixth place in the Western Conference, a half-game above the dreaded play-in line. One common complaint about the modern NBA has been the seemingly uniform style of play between virtually all of the league’s teams, with a heavy reliance on three pointers. Recently, Curry broke down why he doesn’t necessarily see this to be the case. “I think everybody looks at a stat sheet and you look at 3s taken, and compare that to the late 2010s, or early 2000s, and go ‘Yeah, that’s different,’” Curry said, per David Aldridge of The Athletic. “On the whole, OKC, Denver, L.A., Memphis, there’s definitely variance there. Teams know how to create advantages and use their talent appropriately. Like, watch us and the Lakers, it’s totally different. It’s like us and Houston back in the day. It’s the exact same vibe.” Curry’s comments echoed sentiments relayed by Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers on the subject. “A lot of the young teams that aren’t winning, they run down, take a lot of 3s, and that’s what they’re teaching. But they may have a bigger purpose later, if you know what I’m saying,” said Rivers. “But the good teams? You know exactly how they play — ball movement, attack, get to the free throw line, make 3s. Take the right shot. It’s an absolute difference when you watch. And you feel it in the games you play.” Curry has been one of the figureheads of the NBA’s current three-point revolution, having proven that a jump-shooting team can indeed win a championship (or four of them) during his run with the Warriors. While teams’ reliance on the three-point shot may look the same, there is absolutely a marked difference between how teams like, say the Warriors and the Boston Celtics run their offense, even if the outputs are similar. The Warriors will next take the floor against the Memphis Grizzlies on April 1.
Former Player Calls Out Steelers' Mason Rudolph Plan
The Pittsburgh Steelers will have a completely new quarterback room for the second straight season, beginning a trend of relative inconsistency in recent years on the offensive side of the ball. As it stands right now, the Steelers starting quarterback would be Mason Rudolph, a former backup with the team from 2018 to 2023. Earlier this week, Tomlin expressed his faith in Rudolph as a quarterback, expressing his confidence in him as a potential starter for the 2025 season. Others lack the same belief. ESPN analyst and former NFL legend Shannon Sharpe believes that Mason is not a sufficient option for the team heading into next season. On a recent episode of ESPN's First Take, Sharpe addressed his concerns with Rudolph and how it relates to the team's offense. "If he was what you thought he was, why did you let him go in the first place?" Sharpe said. "I look at the situation like this: Once you move on, what are you bringing him back for? If he was what you thought he was, you would have never let him go. At that position? You've got the quarterback that you believe that can get you to where you want to go, and you let him go. Come on, Mike Tomlin, that's not sharp at all. Nobody believing that." Mason's play as a Steeler was alright, but far from elite. In 21 games and 13 starts, Rudolph compiled 19 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and 3,085 yards on 63.5 completion percentage. His time with the Titans was short-lived, and he never really got a true shot at the job with them. Now, the Steelers may decide to add another quarterback for the coming season. However, if they do not, Rudolph leaves the team with more questions than answers moving forward.
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