By the looks of it, it seems like the Atlanta Falcons are at genuine risk of losing Kaden Elliss in free agency this offseason. Ian Cunningham's read on the situation sounded more like the Falcons are looking at values on the open market, so their limited cap space can lead them to alternative options.
Tremaine Edmunds has been floated as one of those potential names for Jeff Ulbrich's defense because of his ties to Cunningham, but that doesn't feel set in stone. Edmunds will be a pretty expensive addition, so if Atlanta is looking deep at linebacker, one name should rise above the rest.
The Falcons haven't been super linked to Nakobe Dean just yet, but they should most definitely be in on the Philadelphia Eagles' star LB. Odds are that he won't be back in Philadelphia in 2026, which gives Cunningham and the Dirty Birds a golden opportunity to pursue the Super Bowl-winning defender.
Dean should be a name that sounds very familiar to those in Georgia because he played his college football at Georgia. Not only did he win a national championship with the Bulldogs, he was looked at as one of the best defenders in the nation while playing down the road from Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The Falcons need to consider signing former Georgia star Nakobe Dean if Kaden Elliss leaves in free agency
Elliss leaving would be a major loss for this Atlanta defense, but signing Dean would more than mitigate that loss. Dean only turned 25 in December, so he is five years younger than the man currently wearing the green dot for the Dirty Birds, which is something Cunningham needs to take note of.
The big risk with signing the 2022 third-round pick is that he has struggled at points to stay healthy, but when he's on the field, he is dangerous. According to Pro Football Focus, his 92.3 pass rush grade ranked third out of all qualified linebackers in 2025, while Elliss's own grade coincidentally was fourth.
Dean was the heart and soul of an Eagles defense that was among the best in football, so even though he's on the smaller side, he still has a lot to offer. His IQ and athleticism would be a great fit next to another young and versatile linebacker in Divine Deablo and add some youth to this group.
Beyond that, Dean is solid in coverage and is a good tackler in space, so while Elliss is a pretty underrated jack-of-all-trades defender, so is the man that could be replacing him. He's younger and arguably better than him, but the only major difference could come in terms of offseason price tag.
Luckily, the Eagles don't have the cap space to bring him back, since they're already paying one LB in Zack Baun and they drafted Jihaad Campbell in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. So since they already have his replacement waiting in the wings, I would venture to say he's as good as gone.
Dean is already a man who shined playing in the Peach State, so hopefully Cunningham and Kevin Stefanski can make lightning strike twice.