Will the New Orleans Saints lose Kaden Elliss? That’s a question a lot of fans are asking ahead of free agency, with many of them picking the linebacker as the team’s top in-house priority now that tight end Juwan Johnson is returning for 2023. But Elliss could be entering a lukewarm market with just one season of notable production behind him. Prior to 2022, he was limited to special teams through his first three years in New Orleans.
One issue for him is the depth at the position — just some of the other linebackers testing free agency this week include widely-respected veterans Lavonte David and Bobby Wagner, young Pro Bowler Tremaine Edmunds, and players on the rise like David Long, T.J. Edwards, Bobby Okereke, Germaine Pratt, and Drue Tranquill, among others. Elliss might have a hard time standing out from the pack.
Still, there’s always room for playmaking second-level defenders in this league. And Elliss should command some attention as budget-conscious teams are outbid for the top players in free agency. Here are four potential landing-spots for him outside New Orleans:
Denver Broncos
The Broncos have a startling amount of salary cap space for a team that sold Russell Wilson the moon just a year ago: they’re ranked fourth with $31.7 million in effective cap space. And Elliss would make sense for them given their troubles guarding the middle of the field and getting after quarterbacks, as well as the presence of his old head coach Sean Payton and some coaches who know him well (like Michael Wilhoite, the Broncos linebackers coach who worked with Elliss on special teams in New Orleans).
Detroit Lions
The Lions know Elliss well given how many of his former coaches and teammates litter their roster, and he’s the kind of signing that could help put them over the top. Detroit has a strong pass rush rotation off the edge but having a linebacker who can make the most of his opportunities on blitzes and one-on-one blocking matchups out wide could be a big boost for Aaron Glenn’s unit.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers have pass rushers up front and good players in coverage on the back end — what they need is linebackers who can move and tackle well, which have been hard to come by. Elliss would make sense for them as a mid-level signing (the Chargers have just over $16 million in effective cap space, ranked 11th around the league).
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers were stout defensively in 2022, but their linebackers weren’t much to write home about and that’s probably their easiest spot to improve on that side of the ball. Elliss would fit right in with their aggressive defense as someone who can read and react to his keys quickly in space while hustling to the quarterback when Pittsburgh calls a blitz.
