Dannell Ellerbe to Saints: Latest Trade Details, Comments and Reaction

The Miami Dolphins have reached an agreement to trade linebacker Dannell Ellerbe to the New Orleans Saints. 

Saints Senior VP of Communications Greg Bensel confirmed the details of the trade:

Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported that Ellerbe has already agreed to restructure his contract: 

Ellerbe spent the first four years of his career with the Baltimore Ravens after going undrafted out of Georgia in 2009. He steadily developed into a well-rounded outside linebacker, making him a coveted commodity when he hit the market in 2013.

The Dolphins signed him, and his first season with the team was a success. He racked up over 100 tackles for the first time, thanks to his strong play against the run. He also chipped in two interceptions, two fumble recoveries and a sack.

His 2014 campaign was essentially a totally loss, though. The 29-year-old defender played just one game before ending up on injured reserve due to a hip injury. That combined with a high cap number for next season, as outlined by Spotrac, left his roster status in question.

Since he couldn't control his status in Miami, he was focused on getting back to full strength. He provided an update on social media back in February:

Still, the Dolphins have decided to move forward without him.

The linebacker needs to focus on getting healthy. He was a reliable contributor before the hip issue, and it's uncertain what type of long-term impact the injury may have.

As a result, the trade does come with some notable risk for a Saints team that has already taken plenty early on in free agency.

He should prove worth the investment as long as he returns to top form.