Kaiir Elam
Another defensive back who is heading toward a pivotal offseason is former first-round pick Kaiir Elam. To this point, Elam has not made much of an impact and has struggled to even get on the field as players like Christian Benford passed him on the depth chart.
This will be Elam's third season in the NFL and the Bills are going to have to make a tough decision on how to proceed with the former first-round pick. They certainly can keep him on the roster as depth but if they are not confident in playing extended snaps, it might be better to trade him now where he still has some value compared to next offseason if he is going to be a healthy scratch again most of this season.
During practice on Tuesday, Andy Young noted that Elam had good coverage reps which is great to see for a player who is trying to make his case for a key part of this defense.
After practice on Tuesday, Elam met with reporters and he certainly is putting in the work. Thad Brown tweeted that Elam has been working with Taron Johnson to try and play like a smaller defensive back with a focus on footwork.
Kaiir Elam says he's working with Taron Johnson learning how to play like a smaller DB.
— Thad Brown (@thadbrown7) May 28, 2024
Footwork likely a big piece. Elam has often struggled there.
But for a 6-1 CB with the full athletic bag to now must learn to play smaller... it's a reminder how poorly he fits #Bills D
However, Brown brings up a great point, something that has been apparent since he was drafted that Elam is not a good fit for this defense and what McDermott wants from his cornerbacks. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the summer plays out for the former first-round pick.