The past three seasons, Blackmon's defensive coordinator was Gus Bradley who now is the 49ers assistant head coach.
Nov 12, 2023; Frankfurt, Germany; Indianapolis Colts safety Julian Blackmon (32) reacts after a play against the New England Patriots in the fourth quarter during an International Series game at Deutsche Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Nov 12, 2023; Frankfurt, Germany; Indianapolis Colts safety Julian Blackmon (32) reacts after a play against the New England Patriots in the fourth quarter during an International Series game at Deutsche Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
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San Francisco 49ers
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."
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GRANT COHN
Grant Cohn has covered the San Francisco 49ers daily since 2011. He spent the first nine years of his career with the Santa Rosa Press Democrat where he wrote the Inside the 49ers blog and covered famous coaches and athletes such as Jim Harbaugh, Colin Kaepernick and Patrick Willis. In 2012, Inside the 49ers won Sports Blog of the Year from the Peninsula Press Club. In 2020, Cohn joined FanNation and began writing All49ers. In addition, he created a YouTube channel which has become the go-to place on YouTube to consume 49ers content. Cohn's channel typically generates roughly 3.5 million viewers per month, while the 49ers' official YouTube channel generates roughly 1.5 million viewers per month. Cohn live streams almost every day and posts videos hourly during the football season. Cohn is committed to asking the questions that 49ers fans want answered, and providing the most honest and interactive coverage in the country. His loyalty is to the reader and the viewer, not the team or any player or coach. Cohn is a new-age multimedia journalist with an old-school mentality, because his father is Lowell Cohn, the legendary sports columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle from 1979 to 1993. The two have a live podcast every Tuesday. Grant Cohn grew up in Oakland and studied English Literature at UCLA from 2006 to 2010. He currently lives in Oakland with his wife.