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Kaden Elliss is an underrated New Orleans Saints free agent, having broken out in 2022 with career-highs in defensive snaps played (632), quarterback pressures (20, 8 of them sacks per Pro Football Focus charting), and tackles (45), along with a pair of fumbles.

The veteran linebacker has been a top special teams player for the Saints ever since they drafted him out of Idaho back in 2019, and now the former sixth-round pick is looking to establish himself as a starter — somewhere around the league.

“I’d love to be back,” Elliss told The Spun’s Chris Rosvoglou. “They’ve made it clear they want me back. It’ll come down to the numbers and scheme. We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”

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SmashMouth

Translation... he ain't coming back.

AsylumGuido

It would be foolish to pay him starter money if the scheme dictates he is only playing special teams and backing up Werner. He knows he can start elsewhere and make that coin.

dizzle88

I may be alone here, but why is Elliss sounding like he thinks he's owed the world after playing pretty well for 1 season since 2019?

Don't get me wrong I'd like to keep him, but let's not forget this is the first time he's made anything above a minimal impact in 4 years.

AsylumGuido

It's also the first time he's seen extended time as a starter with Werner's injury. He's selling himself to the market. Pretty sure it's being prompted by his agent. This will be his only second contract. Rarely do players last much beyond the first. He needs to get as much as he can while he still can. I wish him luck.

AsylumGuido

Speaking of LB's, Bobby Wagner was just released by the Rams.

BakoSaint

‘We don’t plan to use him, he doesn’t fit our scheme’ is code for ‘he is going to be one of the two or more key players we lose this offseason due to Loomis’ mismanagement of the cap.’ If he just didnt fit our scheme we would replace him with a player who is as young and as good and costs as much and just better fits or scheme. Instead we will just watch him walk and sign some fading old veteran to a long term backloaded contract because thats all we can afford. And thats all we can afford because all our miney is locked up in old players we signed to long term backloaded contracts a few years ago because that was all we could afford then.

MatthewT

There are a few great reasons to keep Kaden on the team. DD is getting old, PW may be injury prone, and Kaden is a pretty darn good player. With that said, the Saints have no QB and no cap space, dude is likely gone.

AsylumGuido

It's not the cap that would make us let him go. There's enough reserve left to open about $30 million in 2023 cap. We can sign him to a deal with near vet minimum in the first year if he wanted to stay. The main issue is that he wants to start now. That's not going to happen here.

rezburna

I like it.