Dec 28, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; New Orleans Saints linebacker Demario Davis (56) stretches against the Tennessee Titans during pre-game warmups at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Saints Hit Jackpot by Landing Demario Davis' Replacement in Free Agency

Originally posted on New Orleans Saints on SI
By Zach Pressnell | Last updated Mar 24, 2026 8:00 PM ET

The New Orleans Saints didn't come into the offseason with high expectations. Their roster has some talent on it, but it's certainly not a contender yet, even with emergence of Tyler Shough at the top of their roster.

But the front office still found a way to make some moves in free agency, mainly adding to their offense. They made an addition at tight end, adding Noah Fant to complement Juwan Johnson as an inline tight end for the roster. They were also able to bolster their offensive line by adding David Edwards at offensive guard. He should be able to anchor the line going forward. The biggest addition the Saints made was at running back, where they added former Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne to build the backfield alongside Shough.

PFF's Zoltan Buday recently put together his favorite and least favorite offseason move for each team in the NFL. For the Saints, Buday shared a lot of praise for the addition of former Atlanta Falcons linebacker Kaden Elliss, who was added to replace Davis in the middle of the New Orleans defense.

Saints made huge move to land Kaden Elliss at linebacker

"Elliss returns to New Orleans after three seasons with the Falcons," Buday wrote. "He became a full-time starter in Atlanta and managed to log more than 1,000 snaps in each of those seasons, something the Saints will need after the departure of Demario Davis. Elliss has been among the 32 highest-graded linebackers in each of the past three seasons, including placing in the top 25 and 2023 and 2024."

After losing Davis, it seemed like the Saints were backed against the wall at linebacker. It would have made a lot of sense for the Saints to re-sign Davis and Cameron Jordan on short-term deals, but they lost Davis and are at risk of losing Jordan, too.

But adding Elliss shockingly upgrades the Saints linebacker room going forward. He's as productive as Davis, but the former Falcons star is much younger, which brightens the Saints future quite a bit going forward.

The Saints need to continue making moves like this to bolster their future. With a franchise quarterback on the roster, the Saints can't afford to rush the rebuild. Making moves like the Elliss addition is exactly what the Saints should be doing to maximize their future.

This article first appeared on New Orleans Saints on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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