In most offseasons, Kaden Elliss returning to the New Orleans Saints would be one of the bigger stories on the team. A highly talented, versatile defender the Saints should have never let go comes back to the team after a breakout run with the rival Atlanta Falcons is a great story. It’s just been buried under bigger stories.Â
Elliss returning coincides with the loss of Demario Davis, and he will be integral to the defense maintaining despite the massive loss. Elias will step in as the green dot player and best linebacker on the team. Quiet as kept, Elliss is one of the moves the Saints can’t afford to not live up to expectations.Â
The talent suggests Elliss will deliver, and that’s why Pro Football Focus’ Bradley Locker listed Elliss as one of the five most under appreciated signings of free agency. He cites lack of team success over the last three years as a reason Elliss isn’t a bigger name and believes the Saints are set to change that factor.Â
Kaden Elliss has been pushed aside due to the Saints’ offensive focus
It isn’t just nationally the Elliss signing isn’t getting as much attention. It’s happened locally as well, and it’s largely because of what’s happening around Elliss.Â
The Saints offense has been all about offense with a few non-offensive moves sprinkled in. Not only did the Saints make a lot of moves to bolster their offense, those were the moves fans were campaigning for. The same logic can be applied to Christen Miller.Â
Travis Etienne and David Edwards were discussed as prime targets before they signed, so they naturally dominated the headlines once they signed. Jordyn Tyson was a first round pick and one of four drafted pass catchers. That was the biggest story for the Saints walking out of the draft.Â
Elliss and Miller may not be mentioned as frequently, but they’re still impact players. Elliss should have an immediate impact on the team.
Elliss has been productive, but it’s not just tackles with the linebacker. He is solid in coverage, and most importantly, a dangerous pass rusher. Being able to contribute in all of those areas makes him a chess piece in Brandon Staley’s defense.Â
Staley can blitz Elliss or flat out line him up on the edge. The versatility allows for Staley to disguise more pre-snap. That’s the baseline of Elliss’ impact, and the better he is, the more the impact grows.Â
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