The Buffalo Bills are moving on from Kaiir Elam.
The Bills are trading Elam, a former first-round pick, to the Dallas Cowboys. The Bills will acquire a 2025 fifth-round pick and 2026 seventh-round pick, with the Cowboys receiving Elam and a 2025 sixth-round pick.
The Bills traded cornerback Kaiir Elam, right, to the Houston Texans on Wednesday.
Elam, who turns 24 in May, was never able to solidify a starting role at cornerback. The Bills traded up to draft him in 2022, at No. 23 overall. Now, he gets a fresh start in the NFC.
Elam played just 29 regular-season games (12 starts) in three seasons with the Bills.
Elam had flashes with the Bills, but he struggled in his last game with the team, the AFC Championship Game against Kansas City.
This past season, Elam was sometimes a healthy scratch, and he started four of the 13 games in which he played. Rasul Douglas and Christian Benford were the appointed starters, with Benford coming to the Bills in the same draft class as Elam, albeit in the sixth round.
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General manager Brandon Beane saw Elam slide from a numbers perspective when it came to building the roster. Ja鈥橫arcus Ingram, who was undrafted, held the edge in other phases of the game over Elam.
鈥淚 mean, the special teams piece hurts from that standpoint,鈥 Beane said of Elam in January. 鈥淚鈥檇 say Ja鈥橫arcus (Ingram) was a more valuable asset on special teams with numbers. Once you decided that your starters were Christian and Rasul, Ja鈥橫arcus was playing a lot of roles, was playing a backup nickel role at times with Cam Lewis. You only can put up so many guys.
鈥淚 know that was frustrating for Kaiir. I think there has been a lot of frustration there for him. He鈥檚 been a pro. He鈥檚 handled it well. It鈥檚 definitely not how he envisioned it the day we drafted him or we envisioned it.鈥
Still, Beane and other Bills coaches praised Elam鈥檚 attitude behind the scenes.
鈥淗e鈥檚 such a team (player),鈥 Beane said. 鈥淵ou talk to him, he keeps his head up as best he can. Tough spot to go in when you haven鈥檛 played as much. You always wonder, where was their confidence level? ...
鈥淚 can tell you the guy prepares like he鈥檚 starting every single week, even when he was on the inactive list. That鈥檚 hard. It鈥檚 a testament to what a pro he is. Finished year three, I鈥檓 sure he鈥檚 going to recharge and prepare himself for year four.鈥
Elam posted a farewell message to Buffalo on X.
鈥淎ppreciate so many great people and supporters I鈥檝e had the opportunity met in Buffalo,鈥 he wrote. 鈥淰ery special and unique place that has helped a 20 year old kid from (South Florida) grow more into a man. I鈥檓 still determined to the best but first the man God has called me to be.鈥
With Douglas a free agent, the cornerbacks on the Bills roster currently are Benford, Ingram, Brandon Codrington, Te鈥機ory Couch and Daequan Hardy.
