Falcons Defender Floated as Option for Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings have a number of decisions to make this offseason in terms of personnel.
They have a number of players set to hit free agency, uncertainty at the quarterback position, and very limited financial options due to having the second-worst salary cap situation in the league.
However, the Vikings inevitably will need to find a way to bring in new players as current players leave, and recently, PFF’s Bradley Locker went through all 32 teams to find a free agency fit.
For the Minnesota Vikings, Locker opted to pick an Atlanta Falcons linebacker to help shore up the defense.
Falcons Defender Floated as Option for Vikings in Free Agency
That player is LB Kaden Elliss, who is heading into free agency after playing his seventh NFL season, including the past three in Atlanta.
Elliss is a real rags to riches story as he was picked with the 244th overall pick by the New Orleans Saints in the 2019 NFL Draft. He spent the first three seasons of his career largely as a special teams player before starting 11 games for the Saints in 2022.
At the conclusion of that season, he became a turncoat and signed with the Falcons. Elliss has proven to be a very consistent player during his time in Atlanta, starting all 17 games in each of his three seasons with the franchise. This season, he totaled 107 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, six passes defended, a forced fumble, and an interception.
Now, Elliss is entering free agency for the second time, and the 30-year-old is likely looking for one last big payday during the prime of his career.
Take a look at Locker’s reasoning behind Elliss’ fit in Minnesota:
“Although there may not be a tremendous amount of roster turnover, the Vikings face a crucial offseason. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will hope to yield hits after largely missing on some big swings with 2025 free agents, and he could turn his attention to the team’s linebacking corps.
“Elliss was a quiet standout for Atlanta for the last three years with a 75.5 overall PFF grade and 140 total stops. The defensive chess piece is particularly effective at rushing the passer, with his 84.8 PFF pass-rushing grade the third-best among qualifying linebackers since 2022. Elliss’ ability to get after the quarterback but also remain effective elsewhere could have high appeal to Brian Flores, especially with Eric Wilson no longer under contract.”
The Vikings got some unexpected great play out of Eric Wilson this season, but as Locker mentions, the veteran is another player who is set to enter free agency. During the 2025 campaign, Wilson totaled career highs in tackles for loss (17), sacks (6.5), and forced fumbles (4).
Spotrac predicts Elliss will get another three-year contract worth just under $27 million, so the Vikings may have to pay a steep price to acquire the veteran.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Spotrac helped with this article.
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