Chris Ballard Addresses Colts’ TE Pursuit
Among the most common links between teams and positions in first-round mock drafts is the Colts being connected to a tight end. The position has been a sore spot for years in Indianapolis, a team which should be in position to select one of the top TE prospects in this year’s class. 
[RELATED: Colts Go TE In PFR’s Mock Draft]
“That’s to me the hard one to find,” general manager Chris Ballard said during his pre-draft press conference when speaking about the ideal tight end option (via the team’s website). “To be able to play on all three downs, to be able to be functional in the run game to where you don’t necessarily know it’s always a pass when he’s in the game, and then to be able to finish and make plays at critical times and have him give the quarterback an option in the middle of the field.”
Tyler Warren is seen by many as the top option in a strong group of prospects at the position this year. The Penn State product could be off the board well before the Colts are on the clock, with the Jets at No. 7 representing a potential landing spot. Some see Michigan’s Colston Loveland as TE1, though, and he could still be available when Ballad and Co. make their selection.
Loveland spent each of his three college seasons with the Wolverines, playing a key role in the team’s national championship in 2023. Last season, the 6-6, 248-pounder set a new career high in catches (56) and touchdowns (five) and cemented his status as a first-round prospect. Along with Warren, Loveland is expected to hear his name called on Day 1 with the Colts – set to select 14th overall – seen as a logical landing spot. Indianapolis has been mentioned as an interested suitor in Warren’s case, although it would come as a surprise if the the team pursued a move up the board aimed at acquiring him.
Last year, the Colts were interested in Brock Bowers, and drafting a tight end remains an expected goal this time around. That could very well include a Day 1 selection, although Ballard noted the history of star tight ends taken well after the first round. Plenty of options will be available during the middle and late stages of this week’s event, and the Colts will thus have a number of chances to make an impactful addition. Ballard’s comments certainly do not rule out the possibility of that move coming early, however.
Lions Could Aim To Trade Jameson Williams?
As a first-rounder from the 2022 draft class, Jameson Williams is among the players which will soon be the subject of a fifth-year option decision. He is likely to have his option picked up, but questions loom about the wideout’s future in Detroit. 
The Lions traded up on Day 1 of the ’22 draft to acquire Williams. Expectations were high as a result for the Alabama product once he became available, but his ACL recovery led to a rookie campaign which was essentially a write-off. Gambling and PED suspensions limited Williams to only 12 games in 2023, but he showed plenty of potential as a deep threat. He took a major step forward this past campaign, posting a 58-1,001-7 statline.
Exercising Williams’ option would set him up to receive $15.49MM in 2026. That figure would prove to be reasonable if the 24-year-old duplicated his 2024 success, but the Lions already have a long list of lucrative commitments on offense. That includes fellow wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown, whose deal averages just over $30MM per season. With that pact on the books and others (on defense) soon to follow, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reports some around the NFL believe Williams could be a trade candidate.
The Lions earned the No. 1 seed in the NFC last season, and another run at the Super Bowl is expected for the 2025 campaign. Williams would be positioned to reprise his role as a complementary option to St. Brown and tight end Sam LaPorta, operating as one of the league’s top deep threats. Last season, Williams averaged 17.3 yards per reception, and his catch percentage (63.7%) marked a notable improvement from the previous season.
It would therefore come as no surprise if another strong season were to be in store for 2025. The Lions already have St. Brown, along with quarterback Jared Goff, offensive tackles Penei Sewell and Taylor Decker as well as running back David Montgomery on lucrative contracts, however. LaPorta and running back Jahmyr Gibbs will be eligible for extensions next offseason. By the time those two have a second contract in hand, Aidan Hutchinson will likely be among the league’s highest-paid defenders, a factor which will no doubt influence roster-building moves in the short-term future.
Lions general manager Brad Holmes recently noted the cost of retaining receivers on long-term deals when speaking about the potential of extending Williams. A pact near the top of the market (which now sits at $40.25MM per year) would not be in store in the event a new Lions deal were to be worked out. Still, making another commitment on offense would prove to be cumbersome. As a result, Williams’ status will be worth watching as the draft and the May 1 deadline for fifth-year option decisions approach.
Eagles Extend C Cam Jurgens
The Eagles have made yet another lucrative commitment along the offensive line. Center Cam Jurgens has a new deal in place, the team announced on Monday. 
This will be a four-year, $68MM extension, per Jurgens’ agent (h/t ESPN’s Adam Schefter). The pact includes $39.4MM guaranteed. As a result of the agreement, Jurgens is now on the books with Philadelphia through the 2029 season.
Jurgens did not log any starts during his rookie campaign, but he saw plenty of time in 2023, operating as a full-time starter at right guard when healthy. Last offseason, the retirement of center Jason Kelce created a vacancy at center. As expected, Jurgens took over in that role. The 25-year-old thrived while doing so, earning a Pro Bowl nod and helping the Eagles win the Super Bowl.
In the wake of that success, Philadelphia has proceeded with yet another big-ticket commitment up front. This deal carries an average annual value of $17MM, which ranks second amongst centers. Only Creed Humphrey ($18MM per season) is attached to a more lucrative pact in terms of AAV. Jurgens has moved to the top of the position’s pecking order in terms of guaranteed compensation, however.
The Nebraska product ranked 31st amongst qualifying guards in 2023 with respect to his PFF evaluation. Jurgens took a step forward last season, grading out as PFF’s 14th-best center. Continued development will be key as the Eagles look to remain dominant along the O-line. The defending champions now have four major contracts on the books up front.
Left tackle Jordan Mailata and left guard Landon Dickerson each received long-term extensions last offseason, and as a result they are set to remain in the fold for years to come. Right tackle Lane Johnson recently had one year added to his pact, putting him on track to continue playing through 2027. Jurgens will aim to remain a key figure up front moving forward as Philadelphia looks to replace Mekhi Becton at the right guard spot with incumbent Tyler Steen, trade acquisition Kenyon Green or a rookie added this week.
Jurgens played through back issues during the Eagles’ postseason run, and he underwent surgery shortly after the Super Bowl. A full recovery in time for training camp was expected at the time of the procedure, and today’s news obviously marks a sign of confidence the former second-rounder will not be affected by the injury in the future. Provided that proves to be the case, Jurgens will be counted on to operate as Philadelphia’s center for years to come.
Steelers Interested In Trading Back; Latest On Team’s QB Draft Approach
All 32 teams still own their first-round pick as the countdown to the draft nears an end. Movement up and down the order could be in store soon, although 2025 is not expected to witness many blockbuster trades given the nature of this year’s class. 
As a result, the list of teams interested in moving back is lengthier than usual. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the Steelers are among those looking to trade down, something which comes as little surprise. Pittsburgh’s acquisition of Pro Bowl wideout D.K. Metcalf included the team’s second-rounder in 2025, so trading back to recoup some of that lost capital would be a feasible approach. As Schefter notes, however, there are few known parties looking to trade up.
The Steelers own pick No. 21, which may put them in range to add a quarterback. Per Schefter, the team did not originally intend to select a signal-caller on the opening night of the draft, but the board may allow for that to take place. Shedeur Sanders has been viewed at times as a first-round lock but has seen his stock drop recently, something Schefter adds the Steelers did not anticipate. The Colorado product may be available as a result, and head coach Mike Tomlin has been named as a Sanders supporter.
Pittsburgh is also among the teams which have put together a strong evaluation of Jaxson Dart. The Ole Miss product is considered a first-round prospect by the Steelers, a team still in need of a long-term Ben Roethlisberger successor. Mason Rudolph is back in the organization, but it would come as no surprise if a rookie were to be added this week as competition for the starting gig in 2025 or at least an option to take over QB1 duties down the road.
Aaron Rodgers looms as a stopgap option for next season, but it remains to be seen if he will play in 2025 (and if so, for the Steelers). Pittsburgh has remained patient while awaiting a decision on the Rodgers front, and that process could easily extend past the draft. It will be interesting to see if a first-round signal-caller is in the fold shortly in the Steelers’ case or if the team aims to trade down on the opening night of the draft.
Ashton Jeanty Could Be On Jaguars’ Radar; RB Still Top Bears Target
During the pre-draft process, the Raiders have consistently been linked to Ashton Jeanty. The consensus top running back in the 2025 class is understandably seen by many as a strong candidate for the sixth overall pick, but other teams are worth watching on this front as well. 
The Jaguars can be listed as a “sleeper team” regarding Jeanty, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (video link). Jacksonville is set to select fifth overall, and the team has often been connected to Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham. Taking that route is seen by many as the likeliest outcome, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated writes. He adds, however, that selecting a skill-position player at No. 5 could be in play.
In that case, Jeanty would receive consideration. The Heisman runner-up enjoyed a hugely productive three-year career at Boise State, cementing his status as the most highly-regarded prospect in a deep running back class. Jeanty is widely viewed as a top-10 talent (at least), but the matter of taking a running back so high in the draft remains a topic of debate. An All-American in 2024 (just like Jeanty), Graham is seen as one of the safest prospects in the draft and could contribute right away along Jacksonville’s D-line.
If the Jaguars – now led by first-time general manager James Gladstone and rookie head coach Liam Coen – elect to avoid Graham and Jeanty with their top pick, a move down the board could be in order. Fowler’s colleague Adam Schefter lists Jacksonville as one of the teams interested in a trading back, something which will be difficult given the lack of blue chip prospects at the top of the order. If such a deal were to be made, though, the Raiders would remain in position to add Jeanty.
Such a scenario would come as no surprise, but Schefter notes a sense exists around the league that the Bears are “praying” Jeanty falls to them at No. 10. Chicago has done plenty of work at the running back spot during the pre-draft process, and the team is known to be high on the Maxwell Award winner. D’Andre Swift has one more year of guarantees on his deal, but adding Jeanty to the mix would give the Bears a two-pronged rushing attack not unlike the one new head coach Ben Johnson had with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery during his time as the Lions’ offensive coordinator.
In the event the Jags stand pat at No. 5 and draft Jeanty, Breer adds former first-rounder Travis Etienne could become a trade candidate. It would come as a surprise to many for that circumstance to emerge, but it is a possibility to watch for as the first round approaches.
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.”