"He'll leave the Falcons with 380 combined tackles, 12.5 sacks, and two interceptions, having played 51 of 51 possible games for Atlanta. The Falcons scooped him up after three quiet years and a breakout campaign in New Orleans, and there's little question they got their money's worth from Elliss even if the team as a whole underperformed."
"I won't sugarcoat the on-field impact: Losing Elliss hurts. He was not a standout in coverage, but pretty much everything else you'd ask an inside linebacker to do was very much in his wheelhouse, including plus work against the run and rushing the passer effectively."
"The team's free agency moves thus far paint a picture of a team evaluating everything and trying to set themselves up to have a war chest of picks and cap space in 2027, so paying $11 million per year for a 31-year-old linebacker was clearly not in the cards."
The Atlanta Falcons signed Kaden Elliss from the New Orleans Saints in 2023 and received strong production over two seasons, with 380 combined tackles, 12.5 sacks, and two interceptions across all 51 possible games. Elliss excelled against the run and as a pass rusher but struggled in coverage. Now returning to New Orleans, his departure leaves a significant gap in the Falcons' defense. The team's decision not to retain him reflects their strategy of building cap space and draft picks for 2027 rather than committing long-term money to a 31-year-old linebacker. The Falcons will need multiple defensive acquisitions, including former Texan Christian Harris, to replace Elliss's production alongside Divine Deablo.
Read at The Falcoholic
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