Atlanta Falcons linebacker Kaden Elliss got his wish in free agency, signing a three-year, $21.5 million contract.
The move keeps Elliss working under Ryan Nielsen, a defensive assistant who has seen him grow with the New Orleans Saints since starting out as a seventh-round pick in 2019.
Perhaps that reason, along with the opportunity to start in Atlanta, is why Elliss wanted to join the Falcons.
“The tampering period started on Monday," Elliss said via The Atlanta Journal-Consitution. "It actually started kind of slow. My agent didn’t give us a call for a while and then come to find out it was just because he was on the phone all day. So, we weren’t able to talk for a while, and then all of a sudden, he basically told us how Atlanta came out and how in his opinion, it was the spot for us to go. It was already kind of where I wanted to go. I was excited as soon as the deal, the time frame and just everything came together. I was really excited.”
Elliss was a reserve during his first three years in the league, but blossomed in 2022 with the Saints. He started 11 games for the team and recorded seven of his eight career sacks. The Falcons are putting a lot of faith in Elliss to help improve a pass rush that has struggled in the sack department. Atlanta's pass rush finished dead last in sacks in 2021 and 31st in 2022.
His career mimics how his free agency process went ... slow, then all of a sudden, everything came together, Elliss was rewarded. Now, the Falcons hope their investment will bring them some rewards over the next three seasons.
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