The Buffalo Bills made a big investment in cornerback Kaiir Elam to start his tenure in Buffalo, trading up in the first round to grab the cornerback.
The investment never paid off, with Elam sinking down the depth chart and struggling at times before ultimately being traded to the Dallas Cowboys last week. Elam may carry some resentment from his time in Buffalo, taking an apparent shot at the team in his first comments since the trade.
Kaiir Elam Criticizes Team
Speaking to reporters in Dallas after the March 12 trade, Elam aired some criticism of his treatment in Buffalo. The Bills had high hopes for the Florida cornerback when taking him in the 2022 NFL draft, needing a player who could fill in a starting role while All-pro cornerback Tre’Davious White recovered from a torn ACL.
Elam did earn a starting role to begin the season but struggled with inconsistent play, eventually being surpassed by fellow rookie Christian Benford.
In his remarks this week, Elam hinted that he was never given a fair shake in Buffalo.
“Coming to Buffalo, I was a kid that just wanted to improve and learn and really show off my talents. But I was always put in the back seat,” Elam said, via Syracuse.com. “I continued to put my head down and work, continued to make plays throughout the season and in the playoffs and stuff like that. I just took everything I learned from there and all the baggage and improvements I felt like I needed to make and just packaged it up and worked on it every day. I don’t really see it as a negative. I really just see it as a growing opportunity for me to go shine somewhere else.”
Elam did earn some chances with the Bills, finding mixed results. He came up big in wild-card playoff games in 2022 and 2023, recording interceptions in wins over the Miami Dolphins and Pittsburgh Steelers, but struggled this year. Elam filled in when Benford suffered a concussion in the AFC Championship game against the Kansas City Chiefs, struggling in coverage as the Bills lost.
The Bills also fielded some criticism for Elam’s selection, as he specialized in man defense and seemed an odd fit for the Bills who primarily ran zone.
Bills Have New Priorities at Cornerback
While Elam is on to a new NFL home, his eventual replacement could be nearing a long-term deal keeping him in Buffalo. The Bills are expected to give Benford a contract extension, with The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia saying the deal would be one of the biggest priorities for the Bills this offseason.
“With [wide receiver Khalil] Shakir now on the team for the long term, Benford is hands down the most compelling case for an extension,” Buscaglia wrote. “When they were going through the 2022 NFL Draft, Benford wasn’t who the Bills expected to be their number one cornerback by this point, but he’s shattered his draft position and become one of the team’s best players at a very important position.”
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