Kaiir Elam has a new home in Dallas and it might just be one of the best things the Cowboys did this offseason. They knew they were going to be thin in the secondary as Trevon Diggs is continuing to recover from his torn ACL. DaRon Bland should be fully healthy this season, but with his spotty health record, they needed some more help. So they decided to take a flier on Elam, and it looks to have been a wise move.
Elam has been labeled by some Dallas media members as the best player in training camp so far. With three interceptions in camp, that’s certainly not a stretch either. This is a great sign for the Cowboys as they hope to put together a defense they haven’t seen since Dan Quinn was on the coaching staff.
I can understand why Buffalo gave up on him. After a rookie season that saw him nab two interceptions, he didn’t have one either of the next two years and appeared in just three games his second NFL campaign. But he was a first-round talent for a reason, and now the Cowboys seem to have a steal, one that’s perfect for them as it cost them nearly nothing to address a massive need.
Kaiir Elam is a training camp standout and working his way to being an x-factor for the Dallas Cowboys
Elam was once a first-round pick in the NFL Draft. The talent was always there, he just needed a team to believe in him. The Bills were ready to give up on him so they traded him. And the one team that needed him most is already capitalizing on him. Elam is quickly solving all of the Cowboys’ problems in the secondary and the season hasn’t even started yet.
His addition is so important because the Cowboys need an interim No. 1 corner while Diggs continues to recover. This is the best-case scenario for both sides. Elam needs an opportunity to grow, improve and prove he’s still worthy of being a starting corner. Standing out in camp is one thing, though.
Elam has the perfect chance to prove that the Cowboys were right to go after him. Yes, that starts in training camp with a standout performance. But now the expectations mean he has a lot of pressure on him to continue that in the regular season.
The Cowboys, as Jerry Jones is so good at doing, took a risk with trading for Elam. So far it’s working out. But until he makes his regular-season debut for the Cowboys and matches his training camp performance, he hasn’t earned his spot just yet.