The one Saint the Bengals must target in free agency

The Cincinnati Bengals and New Orleans Saints had very different seasons in 2022. Cincinnati made it all the way to the AC Championship Game while the Saints finished with a losing record and don't even hold the top 10 pick they would have earned had they not traded it away. Yikes.

All of that being said, the Saints had a good roster in 2022 but it didn't translate to wins. They have some interesting players hitting free agency and while most Bengals fans would point to Marcus Davenport as the one player they'd want to steal away from New Orleans, I'm going in a different direction.

The Bengals might lose Germaine Pratt in free agency and have to make a decision on if they're going to extend Logan Wilson or not. If they lose Pratt, they'll need a new linebacker so why not target Kaden Elliss of the Saints?

Kaden Elliss would be the perfect fit for the Bengals.

It's amazing that somehow Elliss lasted until the seventh round of the 2019 NFL Draft but I guess people aren't really zeroed in on Idaho football. He originally started out as a special teamer in New Orleans but this past year had to step up due to an injury to Ohio State alum Pete Werner.

Elliss delivered in his new role, racking up 78 tackles, 10 QB hits, seven sacks, two defended passes, and two forced fumbles. He put together a quality season at the perfect time as he's now set to hit free agency.

The Bengals could afford the two-year contract worth $10.3 million that Elliss is projected to earn in free agency. It'd be an annual salary of $5.1 million and that's way cheaper than what Pratt is going to ask for.

Kaden Elliss won't be one of the more popular free agents this spring but that doesn't mean he's not worth signing. He'd be an excellent addition to this Bengals defense.