The calendar has turned to April, which means that the upcoming NFL draft is driving the fantasy news cycle. IDP managers far and wide are anxiously waiting to see where the top defensive rookies of 2025 will land, whether it's Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter, Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell or South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori.

However, free agency rolls on across the league. Yes, things have slowed—and will likely remain so until teams see how the draft plays out. However, another wave of free agency will follow the draft, and there are still a number of fantasy-relevant players available.

Still, for every player still looking for work, another has either found a new home or re-upped with their old team. Some, like Arizona Cardinals edge rusher Josh Sweat, New England Patriots linebacker Robert Spillane, and Carolina Panthers safety Tre'von Moehrig, got massive deals and have been discussed ad nauseam by IDP analysts since switching teams.

But there are some other players—players who have signed modest or short-term deals that received little fanfare. But while those deals may not have made a huge dent in a team's available cap space, they have the potential to make a real impact in 2025—both in the NFL and for IDP managers.

EDGE Baron Browning, Arizona Cardinals

Technically, Browning re-upped with his "old" team—signing a two-year, $15 million contract to remain in Arizona after joining the Redbirds in a mid-season trade with the Denver Broncos. Per the team's website, the 26-year-old told reporters that he's eager to see what he can do with a full offseason in the desert under his belt.

"I'm really excited about being here for a whole offseason and really being able to build a chemistry with my teammates and get comfortable in the system," Browning said. "I believe in what we're trying to build here," Browning said. "I believe in the coaches. Most importantly, I believe in my teammates. I think all around it was the right fit for me."

A converted off-ball linebacker, Browning has never had more than five sacks in a season. But the fifth-year pro has shown more than a little potential when healthy. With Josh Sweat now commanding the lion's share of attention from opposing offenses, Browning could be on the cusp of a career season in 2025.

EDGE Haason Reddick, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Reddick plummeted from the IDP penthouse to the outhouse last year. After holding out for a sizable chunk of the season in New York, he managed just a single sack for the Jets. Now on a one-year deal with the Buccaneers, the 30-year-old told reporters that he's eager to put the debacle of the 2024 campaign in the rearview mirror.

"It's a fresh start," Reddick said. "I know everybody's worried about last year, but last year was last year. I'm here now, different mindset, different space. I'm just ready to put the past behind me and continue to move forward. And what better place to do that than right here?"

Yes, Reddick completely vanished last season. Yes, the ninth-year veteran is closer to the end of his career than the beginning. But prior to last year's faceplant, Reddick recorded at least 11 sacks in four straight seasons. As recently as 2022, Reddick was a top-five IDP option at his position, but his miserable 2024 season could cause Reddick to drop much farther than he should on draft day.

LB Akeem Davis-Gaither, Arizona Cardinals

After spending much of his five-year career as a special-teams maven in Cincinnati, Davis-Gaither got $10 million over two seasons to join the Cardinals in free agency. As Theo Mackie wrote for The Arizona Republic, it's a contract that would seem to portend a significant role for Davis-Gaither in 2025.

"The question for Davis-Gaither is whether he can fill (Kyzir) White's role as a full-time player," he said. "In 2023, White played every snap before tearing his biceps in Week 11. In 2024, he played every snap in 14 of 17 games and 93.7% on the season. Davis-Gaither, meanwhile, played just 47% of snaps with Cincinnati last season. Prior to that, the 2020 fourth-round pick had never topped 30% of snaps, primarily playing on special teams. From a contract perspective, the deal aligns with what the Cardinals paid White to be their starting middle linebacker. He made $10 million over the past two seasons."

Davis-Gaither may have played less than half the defensive snaps for the Bengals last year, but he made seven starts due to injuries. Over a six-week span to end the season, Davis-Gaither averaged over nine total tackles per contest and checked in inside the top 25 linebackers in The Godfather's Default IDP Scoring.