Soon-to-be free agent linebacker Kaden Elliss raised an illuminating point when discussing his future with the New Orleans Saints. Money won’t be his only consideration in choosing his next team — scheme will, too. He’s looking to land in a good situation where he can use his talents to their greatest potential, and where he’ll have the most opportunities to get on the field.
And that may not be the case for New Orleans. The Saints simply don’t play enough snaps with all three of their top linebackers (Elliss, Demario Davis, and Pete Werner) on the field at the same time to justify paying Elliss what he’s seeking. And if they are willing to match what he’ll get from other teams, they face the hurdle of competitors being able to play Elliss more often than the Saints’ scheme allows.
According to Sports Info Solutions, the Saints defense spent just 83 snaps in base personnel (with three linebackers) on passing downs compared to 299 snaps in nickel (with five defensive backs) and 144 in dime (with six defensive backs), ranking among league leaders. On running downs, they played 179 snaps in base, 277 in nickel, and 23 in dime.
To simplify that, of the 1,005 total defensive snaps the Saints played last year they were in base personnel for just 262 of them (26.1%). An overwhelming 576 snaps were played in nickel (57.3%) and 167 were in dime (16.6%). When you have as little salary cap flexibility as the Saints do this year, it’s really tough to justify paying someone who is only on the field for 15 to 20 snaps each week like a starter at their position.
In a perfect world, the Saints would be able to make a clean transition from Davis to Elliss in the starting lineup next to Werner, allowing the 34-year-old Pro Bowler to hang up his cleats and exit stage left with grace. But Davis still has another year or three left in him, and Elliss can’t afford to wait around and spend his athletic prime as a backup much longer. At the same time, the Saints shouldn’t drastically change their approach to accommodate a single player. It’s a tough problem to resolve. We’ll find out in a few weeks how everyone involved chose to make their move.
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