Falcons Sign QB Easton Stick
As the Kirk Cousins/Falcons staredown continues, the team has added some additional depth at the position. The Falcons announced today that they’ve signed quarterback Easton Stick.
[RELATED: Falcons Unlikely To Take Day 3 Pick For Kirk Cousins]
Stick was a fifth-round pick by the Chargers back in 2019, and he ended up sticking around through his rookie contract and a pair of one-year extensions. He barely got off the bench during his first few years as one of Justin Herbert‘s backups, with the likes of Tyrod Taylor and Chase Daniel getting any leftover reps.
Stick finally got a shot to show his stuff during the 2023 campaign, when he got four starts filling in for Herbert. He showed some signs of being a capable fill-in during his brief stint as the QB1. In those four contests, Stick completed 65.3 percent of his passes, tossed three touchdowns vs. one interception, and added 144 rushing yards. On the flip side, the Chargers were winless in those four games, and Stick also lost three fumbles.
In Atlanta, Stick should have a secured roster spot, but his standing on the depth chart will continue to be in flux. Right now, he’s the QB3 behind Michael Penix Jr. and Cousins, who is pushing for an exit out of Atlanta. If the Cousins/Falcons divorce comes to fruition, then Stick could step up as the main backup to Penix. Emory Jones is also on the roster as some additional depth.
We heard just the other day that the organization was expected to add a veteran backup passer in the coming months. It’s uncertain if Stick would qualify as a “veteran” option for the organization, but he fits the bill as a potential QB2.
Zack Moss Reworks Contract, Likely Sticking With Bengals
Following a season-ending neck injury in 2024, Zack Moss‘s playing future was naturally in doubt. Today, the running back reworked his contract in a move that signals his return to the lineup in 2025.
According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the Bengals agreed to rework Moss’s contract in a move that provides the veteran with more guaranteed money and job security heading into the summer. Moss was attached to $3.47MM in nonguaranteed earnings in 2025. As Garafolo notes, today’s move signals that the organization is clearly “confident in his return.”
Following a 2023 campaign with the Colts where he finished with a career-high 986 yards from scrimmage, Moss joined the Bengals last offseason. The former Bills third-round pick was expected to be part of Cincy’s solution for replacing Joe Mixon, and Moss ended up starting each of the Bengals first five games last season.
He started seeing a reduced role around Week 6, and he was officially shelved in early November with a neck issue. While the ailment never appeared to be a definitive career-ender, it easily wiped out the rest of Moss’s 2024 campaign. The running back ultimately finished his first season in Cincinnati with 429 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns in eight games.
With Moss sidelined, Chase Brown easily ran with the RB1 role, so the veteran RB will likely be relegated to a backup role in 2025. Samaje Perine was also brought in for some veteran reinforcement, while Kendall Milton and Gary Brightwell are around for offseason depth. Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic also suggests that the Bengals could target the position during Day 3 of the draft.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/21/25
Today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed RFA tender: S Ar’Darius Washington
Denver Broncos
- Signed: LS Zach Triner
- Designated as IPP participant: TE Thomas Yassmin
Houston Texans
- Waived: G Tremayne Anchrum Jr.
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed RFA tender: OL Cole Van Lanen
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed ERFA tender: TE Tucker Fisk
Miami Dolphins
- Designated as IPP participant: OT Bayron Matos
Philadelphia Eagles
- Designated as IPP participant: OT Laekin Vakalahi
Among literal free agent additions, LS Zach Triner is the only signing on the list. The veteran brings 84 games of experience to Denver, most of which came during a long stint with the Buccaneers. Triner will likely be competing with Mitchell Fraboni for the team’s long snapper role in 2025. As Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette reports, Triner inked a non-guaranteed one-year deal worth the league minimum ($1.17MM).
A handful of teams designated players as their International Player Pathway program participants. Each qualifying team receives one roster exemption from the start of their offseason program to final preseason cuts. Today’s commitments include Thomas Yassmin (Australia), Bayron Matos (Dominican Republic), and Laekin Vakalahi (Australia).
Broncos Looking To Move Up In First Round
While there’s been plenty of talk about teams potentially moving back in the first round, it sounds like one team is actually focused on moving up the draft board. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Broncos “have made inquiries about moving up” in the first round. Albert Breer of SI.com shares that sentiment, noting that Denver is one of the lone teams looking to move up.
[RELATED: Broncos To Make WR Addition]
The Broncos are currently armed with the No. 20 pick in the draft, and they own all of their picks through the first four rounds. The team doesn’t own a fifth- nor seventh-round pick, although GM George Paton and his staff do have three sixth-round selections at their disposal. Denver also has all of their 2026 picks except a sixth-round selection (sent to the Jets in the John Franklin-Myers trade).
After the Broncos made a surprising run at the playoffs behind rookie QB Bo Nix, the organization is obviously looking to take another significant step in 2025. There’s been plenty of speculation that the front office could look to add to Nix’s arsenal, with rumblings surrounding the addition of an early-round running back or receiver. On the flip side, there’s also been a rumor about the Broncos focusing their draft efforts on the defensive side of the ball — even after the Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga signings.
In other words, the Broncos’ trade opportunities will likely be dependent on individual players vs. any one overarching position. One thing seems pretty certain: the Broncos won’t be moving back. As our own Sam Robinson noted last week, Sean Payton has never traded down in Round 1 (and probably won’t start now).
Fortunately for the Broncos, they should have plenty of options if they ultimately decide to pull the trigger on a trade. While there’s been plenty of trade-back speculation regarding a handful of teams, Schefter definitively points to the Jaguars (No. 5), Panthers (No. 8), 49ers (No. 11), Falcons (No. 15), Seahawks (No. 18), and Buccaneers (No. 19) as teams picking before Denver that could be looking to move back.
49ers Haven’t Made Progress On George Kittle, Fred Warner Extension Talks
As the 49ers continue to navigate extension talks with Brock Purdy, it sounds like two veterans will have to wait their turns for negotiations. Michael Silver of The Athletic acknowledged that the 49ers and tight end George Kittle have engaged in contract talks, although the two sides “remain far apart.” Meanwhile, the organization hasn’t had “any substantive talks” with Fred Warner about an extension.
[RELATED: 49ers, Brock Purdy Making Progress On Extension Talks]
Kittle is set to enter his age-32 campaign and the final season of his five-year, $75MM deal. After years of injury issues, Kittle has seemed to put those behind him during his active contract. Over the past four years, the tight end has missed a total of eight regular season games, and he’s been active for all nine of the 49ers postseason contests.
Kittle has also continued to produce. The tight end has earned four-straight Pro Bowl nods and three-straight All-Pro recognitions, and he topped 1,000 receiving yards in both 2023 and 2024. With Deebo Samuel no longer in San Francisco and Brandon Aiyuk recovering from a torn ACL, the 49ers seem primed to be even more reliant on their tight end in 2025.
Kittle’s $14MM average annual value still ranks fourth at the position, but the organization is presumably looking to reduce that AAV as the veteran heads into the final stretch of his career. Kittle, meanwhile, is presumably pointing to his recent track record as reason for him remaining atop the TE market. For what it’s worth, GM John Lynch said earlier this year that he wants Kittle to finish his career in San Francisco.
Warner inked a then-record-breaking extension with the 49ers back in 2021, and through the first three years of that pact, the linebacker hasn’t missed a game for the 49ers. Warner has earned an All-Pro nod in each of those three campaigns, compiling 393 tackles, 5.5 sacks, nine forced fumbles, and seven interceptions over that span.
Among outside linebackers, Warner’s contract has since been surpassed by Roquan Smith, although the 49ers leader still ranks second at the position in AAV. With two years left on his contract, the 49ers likely feel less urgency to complete a new deal, and they’ll likely want some clarity on Purdy’s next pact before committing more years and money to their defensive star.
Silver’s report came in the context of the 49ers voluntary offseason program, which begins tomorrow. The reporter expects Warner to be in attendance, although he describes Kittle’s status as “much more of a long shot.”
Raiders’ Kolton Miller Seeking New Contract
Kolton Miller is seeking a new contract, and that pursuit is temporarily keeping him away from practice. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Raiders offensive lineman is skipping the team’s voluntary offseason program as he pushes for an extension. According to Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the two sides “are not currently working” on contract negotiations.
At this point of the year, it’s entirely within Miller’s rights to skip out on voluntary practices for any reason. Thanks to his long tenure with the organization, his absence would have automatically raised some eyebrows, but the added context of an extension pursuit adds some intrigue to the story.
The former first-round pick inked a three-year, $54MM extension with the Raiders following the conclusion of his rookie contract in 2023. In addition to entering the final season of his contract, Miller’s average annual value has been pushed down the list as other LTs have been paid. The 29-year-old’s $18MM AAV currently ranks 13th at the position. To top it off, the player’s $12.25MM base salary isn’t guaranteed for the 2025 campaign.
Considering his track record, Miller could certainly justify a contract that surpasses the $20MM-per-year mark. After being limited to a career-low 13 appearances in 2023, the veteran managed to get into all 17 games this past season. He finished the year ranked 13th among 81 qualifying OTs, per Pro Football Focus, the fourth-straight year that he’s ranked within the top-15 at his position.
The Raiders’ new regime surely saw this coming considering Miller’s lame-duck status, and it should be somewhat encouraging that the lineman wants to stick in Las Vegas vs. hitting free agency next offseason. While John Spytek and his staff can briefly play hard ball with Miller, the team ultimately won’t have a whole lot of leverage.
While the Raiders’ OT outlook could certainly change during next week’s draft, the team currently lacks much depth at the position. 2024 third-round pick DJ Glaze looked alright as a rookie, but a Miller holdout would mean the team is relying on the likes of Dalton Wagner, Thayer Munford Jr., and Gottlieb Ayedze for crucial reps. Munford is the only one of that trio with any NFL experience, as the former seventh rounder got into 46 games (18 starts) with the Raiders between 2022 and 2024.
The Raiders are also sitting with more than $40MM in cap space, so it would be difficult to blame finances for a lack of extension. Most likely, the two sides find some kind of resolution before the start of training camp. However, this will remain a story to watch once the draft concludes.
Bears Extend LB T.J. Edwards
The Bears have locked up another key member of their defensive core. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the team has signed LB T.J. Edwards.
[RELATED: Bears To Extend CB Kyler Gordon]
The new deal is worth $20MM over two years. The extension contains $16.6MM in guaranteed money. Edwards was entering the final season of a three-year deal he signed with Chicago in 2023.
That three-year pact came in at less than $7MM annually and contained only $7.9MM in guaranteed money, a contract that proved to be a bargain for the Bears. After transforming into a starter during his latter years in Philly, the former UDFA has continued his strong play in Chicago.
Edwards hasn’t missed a game for the Bears over the past two seasons, with the linebacker collecting 284 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks. Pro Football Focus didn’t grade the veteran all that highly in 2024, but the site had him as the 11th-best linebacker in 2023. This new contract will place Edwards just outside the top-10 among inside LBs, with the 28-year-old’s new $10MM AAV ranking 14th at the position.
The Bears can now enter the draft knowing they have their starting LBs accounted for over the next few years. Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds soaked up the majority of the snaps at the position in 2024, although the Bears could pursue a better contingency plan considering the lack of experience among the team’s other options (Amen Ogbongbemiga, Noah Sewell).
The Bears have been busy handing out extensions recently, as the team inked cornerback Kyler Gordon to a three-year, $40MM deal the other day. With both Gordon and Edwards out of the way, left tackle Braxton Jones could be next in line for a pay day.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/16/25
Today’s minor moves:
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: OT Tyron Smith
San Francisco 49ers
- Suspended: OT Isaac Alarcon
Tennessee Titans
- Waived: DT McTelvin Agim, G Logan Bruss (failed physical), DT Isaiah Iton, DB Gervarrius Owens
- Released: LB Curtis Bolton, WR Stanley Morgan Jr.
You may be wondering what Tyron Smith is doing on this list after the lineman decided to retire. Per ESPN’s Todd Archer, Smith actually inked a new one-year deal with the Cowboys, paving the way for the organization to eventually place him on the reserve/retired list. This would provide the organization with a bit of flexibility should Smith decide to return to the NFL.
49ers lineman Isaac Alarcon was slapped with a six-game suspension for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy, per Matt Barrows of The Athletic. The ban will begin at the start of the 2025 campaign. Alarcon is allowed to participate in all practices and preseason games prior to his suspension.
The 26-year-old initially joined the Cowboys via the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program, and he spent four years in Dallas before joining the 49ers at the end of the 2024 campaign. Alarcon has yet to appear in an NFL game.
Patriots Pursued Maxx Crosby, Myles Garrett; Could Select Edge Rusher At No. 4
The Patriots have been active reworking their pass-rush depth this offseason, so it shouldn’t be surprising that the front office pursued two of the biggest names on the market. According to Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda.com, the Patriots “had desires” to trade for Maxx Crosby and Myles Garrett.
New England’s pursuit of the two extension/trade candidates surely preceded their free agent spending spree. The Raiders and Browns were rightfully correct in waiting out the trade winds, as both teams eventually inked their star pass rushers to lucrative extensions. That forced the Patriots to pivot.
Considering the Patriots’ free agency commitments, we can only assume the Eliot Wolf-led front office would have been just as willing to hand out an extension to either player. The Patriots landed interior disruptor Milton Williams on a four-year, $104MM, and they added edge rusher Harold Landry III on a three-year, $43.5MM pact. With other additions like Robert Spillane and K’Lavon Chaisson, plus holdovers like Christian Barmore and Keion White, there’s hope Mike Vrabel will guide an improved front-seven in 2025.
Despite the team’s many defensive acquisitions, the Patriots may not be done adding. There’s been an assumption that the team would select an offensive tackle with the fourth-overall pick. However, Pauline says the team’s one alternative option could be an edge rusher, and that’s with the assumption that Abdul Carter will already be off the board.
Shemar Stewart, Mykel Williams, and Mike Green are regarded as consensus top-20 picks, but all three edge-rush prospects would be considered a reach at No. 4. Considering the uncertainty behind the top-three picks, Jalon Walker could be an option for New England, although the Georgia product seems better positioned to slide in as an inside LB.
Our own Ely Allen projects the Patriots to select LSU offensive tackle Will Campbell with the No. 4 pick, a popular sentiment across the industry. However, the Patriots could pull off the first wrinkle of the draft if they add to an already-remade defense.
Panthers Open To Trading Back From No. 8
APRIL 15: When speaking to the media on Tuesday, Morgan confirmed he is open to receiving offers for the No. 8 pick (video link via ESPN’s David Newton). To no surprise, he added Carolina is not locked into adding a defensive player in the first round (h/t Newton), although that side of the ball is expected to receive plenty of attention. As the countdown to the draft continues, it will be interesting to see if a strong market for the Panthers’ top choice emerges.
APRIL 14: With multiple holes on the roster and the organization still in the midst of a rebuild, the Panthers will clearly be operating with a ‘best-player-available’ approach at No. 8 in the draft. However, depending on how things proceed with the top-seven picks, the front office could look to make a move.
According to Joseph Person of The Athletic, the Panthers “are open to the idea” of moving back from No. 8 “depending on what happens in front of them.” In fact, some recent developments from the Panthers’ own division may only help general manager Dan Morgan‘s chances of pulling off a trade.
As Person writes, with Derek Carr potentially out for the 2025 campaign, the Saints may feel added pressure to land a top quarterback prospect in the draft. As one of the only QB-needy teams in the top-10, the Saints would seem to be in prime position to select, say, Shedeur Sanders with the No. 9 pick.
Since the Panthers are armed with the No. 8 pick, they could be an enticing trade partner for Sanders suitors who aren’t armed with such a high selection. The Saints’ need for a QB could further benefit the Panthers. As Person notes, a “quarterback-inspired team” (like New Orleans) that leapfrogs Carolina’s eighth-overall selection would just result in a better non-QB-prospect falling into the Panthers’ lap.
Of course, this isn’t an uncommon sentiment in this year’s draft. QB Cam Ward is expected to go first-overall, while Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter represent the draft’s only true blue-chip prospects. There’s a belief that there isn’t a huge difference between the next tier of players, with Buccaneers GM Jason Licht even admitting recently that the draft “is pretty leveled-out at a certain point” (per Person).
In other words, if a team is truly enamored with Sanders, they’d likely be negotiating for picks No. 4 through No. 7 before they place a call with Morgan and the Panthers for the No. 8 pick. Still, the Saints’ sudden QB issues could vicariously help their rival’s options heading into the draft.