Panthers kill two birds with one stone by stealing a veteran defender from a division rival in NFL free agency mock draft
Kaden Elliss fits everything the Carolina Panthers should be looking for at the linebacker position.
The Carolina Panthers got a taste of the postseason a few weeks back and now are aiming to make turn that success into something more sustained and into the norm for this organization, not just a fluke season.
Do to so, the Panthers will have to make some serious upgrades to the roster this offseason and general manager Dan Morgan already laid out some positions of need such as improving the pass rush and adding another downfield weapon to the offense.
Another position Morgan addressed specifically was the linebacker position, a spot that used to mean something of importance to this organization.
“That’s a really important position for us, it’s the guy that stands in front of the huddle and demands that respect,” Morgan explained. “That’s an area we feel like we need to improve upon and we’re going to attack it just like we attack needs every year.”
A few free agents stick out as candidates to replace Christian Rozeboom in the starting lineup alongside Trevin Wallace for the Panthers to go after, but one target in particular can help the Panthers kill two birds with one stone.
Kaden Elliss makes sense as a free agent target for the Panthers to pursue
Earlier this week, A to Z Sports held a fun little exercise with the team writers by doing a free agent mock draft with the order being determined by who has the most cap space in the league. Each team took turns “drafting” a free agent that fit what the team is searching for on the open market.
Carolina had pick No. 19 which meant some top free agents were already off the board that the team might consider signing such as DE Trey Hendrickson and LB Devin Llyod. With the pick, I opted to select former Atlanta Falcons linebacker Kaden Elliss, giving him a two-year, $15 million deal.
“A player that stands out to me in the second-tier is Kaden Elliss, who’s spent his entire NFL career in the NFC South playing with the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons. Elliss is coming off three strong years with the Falcons in which he totaled 380 combined tackles, 12 pass deflections, and 12.5 sacks. The Panthers need a clear upgrade in the second level of their defense and Elliss can provide that and it’ll be a lot easier to find a top edge rusher in the draft to upgrade the pass rush.”
Elliss is exactly what the Panthers should be looking for if the team misses out on Lloyd, and another option would be former Kanas City Chiefs linebacker Leo Chenal. Given Elliss’ history in the NFC South, he’d be the ideal option to be a leader for the defense.
Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich noted that it would take more than one human being to replace Elliss if he leaves for another team. Snatching that kind of player and bringing him to Carolina would be a double-whammy for the Panthers.
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