Perhaps the most controversial move new Atlanta Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham made this offseason was letting Kaden Elliss walk. And the knots in our stomach multiplied when the veteran signed with the team that drafted him and the Falcons' biggest rival, the New Orleans Saints.
Losing the do-it-all linebacker will prove to be costly. He was Jeff Ulbrich's irreplaceable chess piece.
For a defense that will have pressure on them to duplicate their solid 2025 season, it is hard to imagine them holding steady, let alone improve, without their leader. This could end up ruining what needs to be a playoff season.
Kaden Elliss' departure will be what tears down Jeff Ulbrich's new vision
Elliss was well worth the three-year, $33 million deal that the Saints handed him months ago -- the Falcons should've realized that.
$11M per year for a linebacker that calls plays, orchestrates his teammates, is strong in coverage, and can threaten as a blitzer is a steal. That is why it is so confounding that Cunningham seemingly let him go like he was a practice-squad player. Where will the Falcons replace his brains and production?
Divine Deablo had a great season, but doesn't give Ulbrich enough beef to consistently take on blockers one-on-one. The Falcons brought in Christian Harris, who has primarily been a special-teamer his whole career.
Sure, we have high hopes for Harris, but we can't expect him to be anything close to the player Elliss is. And then you have a cast of unreliable pieces behind that; Troy Andersen doesn't need explanation, JD Bertrand was benched last season, and Channing Tindall is a special teamer.
It feels like the Dirty Birds are expecting rookies Harold Perkins Jr. and Kendal Daniels to be more than they should be expected to be as mid-to-late-round picks. The issue I have with the unit is the lack of weight. Andersen and Daniels are the only aforementioned players who weigh over 240 lbs.
The game continues to move toward speed. But that doesn't mean a team shouldn't have some block-attacking 'backers like Elliss was; especially for a defense that ranked in the bottom 10 in run defense.
Jalon Walker becomes the wild card. He figures to play more off-the-ball linebacker then he did as a rookie. But it takes away one of the team's best pass-rushing threats last year. That becomes especially problematic with the edge position being slightly more volatile than last year's.
Simply put, the loss of Ulbrich's favorite player leaves a massive hole in the middle of a defense that could be relied upon. And to think he will be in the offense's game plan twice a year makes it hurt even more.
Add us as a preferred source on Google