The Atlanta Falcons entered the offseason with a ton of cap space. Only the Chicago Bears had more, meaning that Atlanta would be able to throw their weight around when it came to free agency. They wasted no time in doing so.
The Falcons spent north of $233 million on Day 1 of free agency, bringing in numerous veterans to upgrade their roster. Some moves, such as agreeing to a four-year deal worth just over $64 million with safety Jessie Bates III, drew headlines.
Atlanta also took advantage of the New Orleans Saints’ salary cap situation, poaching some defenders from them. Defensive lineman David Onyemata signed a three-year, $35 million deal that certainly raised some eyebrows. But, the signing that has been lauded as one of the best under-the-radar deals of the offseason was Kaden Elliss.
Elliss spent the first four seasons of his career with the Saints after being selected in the seventh round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He was a key part of their special teams unit for his tenure there and saw his role on defense grow each season.
In 2022, his first as a regular starter, Ellis played very well. The Falcons are getting a player that is coming off the best season of his career as he registered 7.0 sacks and 78 total tackles despite still playing only 56 percent of the team’s defensive snaps.
Going on 28 years old and entering his prime, the Falcons should get plenty more good seasons out of Elliss, who signed a three-year, $21.5 million deal. The transition to Atlanta should be a relatively easy one as well.
Falcons defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen was part of the Saints’ staff last season. If anyone knows the potential that Elliss possesses after his first season of seeing regular snaps, it is Nielsen. Knowing what is expected of him and with an even larger role awaiting him, 2023 could be a true breakout for the Idaho product.
