The Buffalo Bills made significant investments in their secondary during the 2022 offseason, adding reinforcements after Tre’Davious White tore his ACL, an injury expected to sideline him for much of the season.
The Bills traded up in the first round to select cornerback Kaiir Elam, but Elam never fully developed into White’s replacement and has struggled to secure a regular role in the defense. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell believes Elam’s time in Buffalo could be nearing its end, with the team potentially moving him ahead of the NFL trade deadline.
Bills Move on From ‘Rare Miss’
Barnwell pointed out that Elam did not meet expectations in Buffalo, starting at points in his rookie year but eventually losing his spot to Christian Benford, a player picked five rounds later in the same draft. He described Elam as a “rare miss” for Bills general manager Brandon Beane, who has had a strong track record of drafting defensive talent across all rounds.
“Despite injuries opening up spots on the depth chart, Elam never convinced McDermott he deserved consistent playing time,” Barnwell wrote. “Injuries also affected Elam last season, and while he is healthy now, he’s only played 23 defensive snaps in 2024.”
Barnwell suggested that Elam could hold trade value for the Indianapolis Colts, who recently lost rising defensive back JuJu Brents to a knee injury. He proposed a trade in which the Bills send Elam to the Colts for a 2025 sixth-round pick.
“As a former first-rounder, Elam is owed $1.3 million for the rest of 2024 and $2.6 million in 2025, all of which is guaranteed,” Barnwell noted. “Though not a large sum, the Colts may be hesitant to take it on unless they believe he can become a regular contributor.”
Bills Could Make Additional Moves After Amari Cooper Trade
The Bills have already made one pre-deadline move to strengthen their offense, acquiring wide receiver Amari Cooper from the Cleveland Browns. The Bills’ receiving corps has struggled at times this season, as the team worked to fill the gap left by last year’s top receivers, Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis.
Head coach Sean McDermott said it was uncertain whether Cooper would be ready to play in Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans, as the team is still working to integrate him into their offense.
“First and foremost, we have faith in the receivers already in the room,” McDermott said. “We’ll see how quickly we can get Amari up to speed and integrated into what we do. It’s never just about one guy, even though we’re excited to have him. It’s about the team, and we’re eager to get rolling with him.”
The Bills could continue making moves before the deadline. Beane mentioned during an October 16 appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” that the team is still evaluating the trade market and could make additional deals.
“We’ve got a few weeks before the deadline,” Beane said. “If we see something that can help us get over the top, we’ve been all-in from the beginning.”
