The Denver Broncos will definitely need to address the situation at inside linebacker in free agency. With two of their three regular contributors heading to unrestricted free agency in Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad and their third an oft-injured Dre Greenlaw, the situation at the position appears to be dire here in February. Frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised if they address their needs in both free agency and the draft.
One guy that could be on their radar would be Jonah Elliss’ older brother, Kaden. The former seventh-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints, he would reunite with the head coach that drafted him if he were to sign with Denver.
Player Profile
Linebacker | Kaden Elliss | Atlanta Falcons
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 240 pounds
Age: 30 years old
Experience: 7 NFL seasons
2025 stats: 17 games played with 17 starts. 107 total tackles, 10 tackles for a loss, 10 quarterback hits, six passes defensed, one interception and one forced fumble.
Should the Broncos sign linebacker Kaden Elliss?
The Broncos need to get younger at the position and that likely means drafting some inside linebacker talent this year. However, that means they’ll likely need a veteran signing to help fill the gap while the rookie works towards an NFL starter.
That brings a guy like Kaden Elliss into the picture for the Broncos. He is already 30 years old and a deal would need to be a 1-2 year type of offer, because this would truly be a rental type situation. It would ultimately come down to the type of market Elliss sees when free agency begins. If he makes it into the tier 2 or 3 group, then his value might make more sense for Denver.
Why the Broncos will not sign Kaden Elliss in free agency
Age.
That’s my main issue with this free agent and why I think the Broncos will not try to sign Kaden Elliss. They will look to get younger at the position, but a veteran rental for the next year or two would make a lot of sense too. That could be the only reason why Elliss would make sense.
Final Thoughts
I like the idea of pairing the brothers on the field, but I also think Jonah Elliss could be a guy the Broncos try to move for picks at some point. He’s just too good to sit behind the starters. The greedy part of me wants to keep all of the depth, because its nice to have great players everywhere.
The other issue I have is Elliss’ age. He is 30 and turns 31 this year. We all know how hard it is to maintain starter-level play at most positions into your 30s at the NFL level. The drop-off may not some this year for Elliss, but its certainly close enough to be concerned about. And trading a 32-year-old Alex Singleton for a 31-year-old Elliss also doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Might as well try to re-sign Singleton at that point.
How do you feel about Kaden Elliss and his fit with the Denver Broncos?