logo
1 49ers draft pick unsigned as rookies report to training camp

1 49ers draft pick unsigned as rookies report to training camp

USA Today7 hours ago
It's been a long offseason, but NFL teams are back in the building this week for the start of training camp, and for the San Francisco 49ers, they welcomed their rookies to their SAP Performance Facility next to Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on Tuesday.
While the 49ers are ready to fully kick off camp when veterans arrive Tuesday, July 22, they still have some business to take care of, including rookie defensive lineman Alfred Collins' contract.
Entering training camp, Collins is the team's lone unsigned draft pick of their 11-player class, but following a fascinating trend around the league, he's one of 30 second-round picks in the 2025 NFL draft that have yet to put pen to paper.
Collins, 23, was a five-star recruit out of Cedar Creek High School in Cedar Creek, Texas, before committing to the University of Texas ahead of the 2020 season. In five years with the Longhorns, he appeared in 64 games, recording 141 tackles (18 for a loss), 12 passes defensed, seven sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception. He also earned All-SEC and All-American honors in 2024.
At this point, Collins isn't considered a holdout, considering he's not under contract. However, when he does eventually sign, he'll be competing for a top spot in the interior of San Francisco's defensive line along with veterans Jordan Elliott and Kevin Givens and 2025 fourth-round pick C.J. West. Missing time in training camp could keep him from taking on an important role, especially early in the season.
If the 49ers are looking to get Collins locked in sooner rather than later, they should be offering more guaranteed money, as that seems to be the holdup for these second-round rookie deals. The only second-round picks from the 2025 NFL draft to sign their deals thus far are Houston Texans wide receiver and Cleveland Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger, who both received fully guaranteed entry-level contracts earlier this offseason.
More 49ers: Second-year 49ers WR identified as a breakout candidate ahead of 2025 season
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Commissioner Rob Manfred says MLB is in a better position to reach broadcast agreements for 2026-28
Commissioner Rob Manfred says MLB is in a better position to reach broadcast agreements for 2026-28

Chicago Tribune

time6 minutes ago

  • Chicago Tribune

Commissioner Rob Manfred says MLB is in a better position to reach broadcast agreements for 2026-28

ATLANTA — Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred says the sport is in a better position to reach national broadcasting agreements for 2026-28 after he attended the annual Allen & Co. Conference of media and finance leaders in Idaho. ESPN said in February it was ending after this season its agreement to broadcast Sunday night games, the All-Star Home Run Derby and the Wild Card Series. MLB's other agreements, with Fox and TBS, run through the 2028 season, and MLB wants all its national broadcast contracts to end at the same time. Manfred said in early June he hoped to reach a deal before the All-Star break. 'I had a great week last week. I was in Sun Valley,' he told the Baseball Writers' Association of America on Tuesday. 'I had lot of conversations that moved us significantly closer to a deal and I don't believe it's going to be long.' MLB has been starting to assemble local rights and this season is producing and distributing broadcasts of Arizona, Cleveland, Colorado, Minnesota and San Diego. 'I think it's very important, in fact, crucial, that when we go to the market for our post-'28 deals, that we have the ability to say to our broadcast partners: We have all these rights, what have traditionally been our national, what have traditionally have been our local, let's cut them up in a way that is the best in terms of reaching our fans and maximizing our revenue,' he said. 'And I think in an environment that's as disrupted as the current media environment, that kind of flexibility is absolutely crucial.' 'I see the MLB media operating of clubs as an interim arrangement to get us to 2028,' he added. 'It's not a goal that I'm pursuing in and of itself. Rather, it is an interim step for clubs that we happen to provide the best alternative given what's happened in the local markets.' Manfred describes broadcast rights and the collective bargaining agreement as key factors in franchise values. The economic study committee established two years ago has looked into those issues. 'It was never a mask for labor,' Manfred said. 'It was a process designed to think through why, what about our economic system has put us in a position where our franchise values have not grown as quickly as some other sports and try to figure out how we might fix that.' Tampa Bay, controlled by Stuart Sternberg since October 2005, said last month it had entered exclusive discussions for a sale to a group led by Patrick Zalupski, Bill Cosgrove and Ken Babby, and The Athletic reported Monday that a sale is expected to be finalized by September. 'I have no reason to quibble with or dispute the reports that have been out there,' Manfred said. Because of damage caused to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg last October by Hurricane Milton, the Rays are playing home games this season at Steinbrenner Field, the New York Yankees spring training facility in Tampa. 'We think we're going to be ready to play in '26 in the Trop,' Manfred said, adding that there are contingency plans to start the season elsewhere before moving to Tropicana Field later in the year if the stadium isn't ready by opening day. He didn't say what the contingency plans were. MLB reaffirmed the Rays would play postseason games this year at Steinbrenner Field, saying other sites were not considered. The Pohlad family announced last October it was exploring a sale of the team, which the family has controlled since 1984. Justin Ishbia, a brother of Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia, was thought to be interested, but the Chicago White Sox announced last month he was becoming a limited partner in a deal that could allow him to becoming controlling owner. 'A big part of the delay in Minnesota was associated with the leader in clubhouse making the decision to do something else,' Manfred said. 'There will be a transaction. You just need to be patient while they rework.' Moving from Oakland, the Athletics are playing the first of what the team says will be three seasons at a Triple-A ballpark in West Sacramento. 'If I had a brand new gleaming stadium to move them into, we would have done that,' Manfred said. 'Right now it is my expectation that they will play in Sacramento until they move to Las Vegas.' Manfred addressed MLB's efforts to monitor sports gambling, which led in June 2024 to a lifetime ban of San Diego's Tucupita Marcano along with one-year suspensions of four players, the firing of umpire Pat Hoberg in February and a pending probe into Cleveland pitcher Luis Ortiz. MLB increased efforts after the U.S. Supreme Court in May 2018 struck down a federal law that had barred betting on football, basketball, baseball and other sports in most states. 'I know there was a lot of sports betting, tons of it that went on illegally and we had no idea, no idea what threats there were to the integrity of the play because it was all not transparent,' Manfred said. 'I firmly believe that the transparency and monitoring that we have in place now, as a result of the legalization and the partnerships that we've made, puts us in a better position to protect baseball than we were in before.' MLB has hoped for legal modifications, including around prop bets. 'There are certain types of bets that strike me as unnecessary and particularly vulnerable, things where it's one single act doesn't affect the outcome necessarily,' he added. MLB removed mention of its diversity from its MLB Careers webpage in March, following the start of the Trump administration. 'Sometimes you have to look at how the world's changing around you and readjust where you are,' Manfred said. 'There were certain aspects of some of our programs that were very, very explicitly race-based and/or gender-based. We know because there were public comments to the effect that people in Washington were aware of that and we felt it was important to recast our programs in a way to make sure that we can continue on with our programs, to continue to pursue the values that we have always adhered to without tripping what could be legal problems that would interfere with that process.' Next year's game is set for Philadelphia and MLB plans to announce later this month the 2027 game will be at Chicago's Wrigley Field. Manfred mentioned Baltimore, Boston and Toronto as possible future sites for All-Star Games. Manfred wouldn't speculate whether MLB will try to cut minor league affiliates from 120 to 90 when current Professional Development Licenses expire after the 2030 season. 'There is a lot going on. College baseball's changing big time,' he said. 'It's just impossible for me to speculate but don't take that as he thinks it's going to be smaller or bigger.'

MLB honors Hank Aaron with recreation of record 715th homer during All-Star Game
MLB honors Hank Aaron with recreation of record 715th homer during All-Star Game

San Francisco Chronicle​

time9 minutes ago

  • San Francisco Chronicle​

MLB honors Hank Aaron with recreation of record 715th homer during All-Star Game

ATLANTA (AP) — Major League Baseball honored late Hall of Famer Hank Aaron by recreating his record-breaking 715th home run through the use of projection mapping and pyrotechnics. The lights went down at Truist Park and fans stood holding their cell phone lights following the sixth inning of Tuesday night's All-Star Game. The scene from April 8, 1974 at old Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium was projected on the infield and also shown on the video board. The high-tech images of Aaron and other players were seen on the Truist Park infield before a blaze of a fireball launched from home plate to signify the homer that pushed Aaron past Babe Ruth's record of 714 homers. Aaron's widow, Billye Aaron, stood and waved as the cheers from the sellout crowd of 41,702 grew louder. NL players warmed up for the game in batting practice jerseys with Aaron's No. 44 on the back One year ago, MLB celebrated the 50th anniversary of Aaron's homer with announcements for a new statue at Baseball's Hall of Fame and a commemorative stamp from the U.S. Postal Service. Also, Commissioner Rob Manfred helped honor Aaron in Atlanta last year by joining the Braves in announcing the $100,000 endowment of a scholarship at Tuskegee University, a historically Black university in Aaron's home state of Alabama. Manfred noted the Henry Louis Aaron Fund, launched by the Braves following Aaron's death in 2021, and the Chasing the Dream Foundation, created by Aaron and his were designed to clear paths for minorities in baseball and to encourage educational opportunities. Aaron hit 755 home runs from 1954-76, a mark that stood until Barry Bonds reached 762 in 2007 during baseball's steroid era. Aaron was elected to the Hall in 1982. A 25-time All-Star, he set a record with 2,297 RBIs. He continues to hold the records of 1,477 extra-base hits and 6,856 total bases. ___

Tributes Pour In After Former NFL Star Dies At 65
Tributes Pour In After Former NFL Star Dies At 65

Yahoo

time10 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Tributes Pour In After Former NFL Star Dies At 65

Tributes Pour In After Former NFL Star Dies At 65 originally appeared on The Spun. This weekend saw the NFL world lose another former star with the news of Luis Sharpe's passing on Saturday. Sharpe, a three-time Pro Bowl left tackle who anchored the blindside of the Cardinals offensive line for 13 seasons from St. Louis to Arizona, reportedly died at the age of 65. Advertisement Yesterday his widow, Tameka Williams-Sharpe announced his transition in a post to Facebook. Saying: With deep sorrow and abiding love, I share that my beloved husband, Luis Sharpe, has passed away. His strength, love, and faith were a light to all who knew him. I am grateful for every moment we shared and for the many prayers and kindnesses extended to our family. Though my heart is heavy, I trust that Luis is now resting in God's eternal peace. Please continue to keep our family lifted in prayer. Fans from all over memorialized the two-time All-Pro across the internet. "My heart aches tonight, learning that former Arizona Cardinal star OL Luis Sharpe has died," Kevin McCabe replied. "An NFL Pro Bowler, who struggled with demons, alcohol and drugs, had been clean and sober for years. He died peacefully of heart failure. Godspeed my friend ❤️🙏" "The Birdgang is hurting today as we lost one of our own," a user commented. "Luis Sharpe former OT and pro bowler was always engaging with the fans as a Veteran player and spent his life after football helping his community. He will be missed and may he rest in peace." Advertisement "Luis Sharpe was one of the most athletically gifted left tackles the Cardinals have ever drafted. His pass pro fan blocking technique was textbook," a fan shared. "Yes. Suz, this news is extremely hard to process for Cardinals' and UCLA Bruins' fans in particular. Huge respect for Luis Sharpe and profound condolences to his family and loved ones." BALTIMORE, MD - OCTOBER 30: Helmets belonging to the Arizona Cardinals sit on the turf before the start of the Cardinals game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on October 30, 2011 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by)Sharpe started all 189 games regular season games across his career — making three straight Pro Bowls from 1987-1989. The Cardinals selected him with the 16th overall pick in the 1982 NFL Draft out of UCLA. May he rest peacefully. Advertisement Related: Prayers Pouring In After 2 Football Players Die On Way To Practice Tributes Pour In After Former NFL Star Dies At 65 first appeared on The Spun on Jul 13, 2025 This story was originally reported by The Spun on Jul 13, 2025, where it first appeared.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store