While Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys have been active thus far in free agency, they haven’t made many moves that get anyone, especially their fan base excited.
The same can be said of the trade Dallas made with Buffalo to acquire former first-round pick, Kaiir Elam. It’s safe to say that Elam’s time in Buffalo didn’t pan out the way either side expected when he was selected 23rd overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. While Elam didn’t exactly excel with the Bills, don’t think that’ll stop him from heading to Big D with a bit of a chip on his shoulder.
"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. 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."
New Cowboys CB Kaiir Elam on why things didn't work out in Buffalo and his expectations going forward:
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) March 17, 2025
"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. I continued to put my head down and…
The only one holding back Kaiir Elam is Kaiir Elam
Of course, Elam has the right to his opinion, especially in this situation but it’s hard to ignore the facts. Being put on the back burner (or in the back seat as Elam puts it) as a professional athlete usually means your production wasn’t at the level expected. We can come up with all the excuses we want but the bottom line is the best players see the most time on the field.
Maybe Buffalo wasn’t the right fit for Elam or he needed more time to develop which is possible. He now has the chance to redeem himself in Dallas and show the Bills that they got it wrong. As of right now, the city of Buffalo and that organization probably view him as a bust and a wasted pick. That’s simply the fact of the matter.