For a couple of years now, the Buffalo Bills defense has not seen exactly what it would have liked out of one particular defensive back.
Just last year, Christian Benford was able to secure a starting spot over former first-round pick Kaiir Elam, who had yet to make a real name for himself since coming to the Bills out of Florida in 2022.
As the new league year began, Buffalo opted to make a once-and-for-all decision on the former no. 23 overall pick.
The Bills have traded cornerback Kaiir Elam to the Dallas Cowboys
In a move Bills fans will likely celebrate, the team moved on from Elam after three seasons.
Buffalo received a 2025 fifth and 2026 seventh-round pick from the Cowboys in exchange for Elam and a 2025 sixth rounder, as reported by NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.
This now ends a mostly-frustrating tenure for Elam in Buffalo. No longer will fans ask whether or not Elam finally pans out or adds up to his draft billing.
Buffalo cut their losses with a move like this.
On one hand, it might be a tough pill to swallow, receiving such a low return for someone who was supposed to be an intricate part of the team's future. However, things like this happen all the time in the NFL.
Elam is just one more example of a team getting it wrong in the first round. But, for every Kaiir Elam there is a Khalil Shakir, who also happened to come out of that very same 2022 draft class.
The Bills may have gotten it wrong with Elam, but Shakir is fresh off a brand-new extension following his mosty productive year yet. So, it's not all bad.
In fact, there's been a lot of good for the Bills this offseason. Clearly, this is a team loading up for another run at a Super Bowl. Between the Josh Allen extension and other moves made in free agency, Buffalo views this as a high-ceiling team, still.
Fans should be thrilled at the direction of the team, particularly knowing Brandon Beane is one who will make a necessary move when it's the right time.