It didn’t take long for former player to throw some shade in the Bills’ direction.
The Buffalo Bills gave first-round selection Kaiir Elam three years to develop, hoping he could become a solid starting corner.
Unfortunately, that never happened, and the Bills decided to move on from the 2022 draft bust. The Bills traded Elam early this year to the Dallas Cowboys, after realizing they wouldn’t get a return on their investment in the young corner.
After the trade was completed, Elam was quick to throw the Bills’ coaching staff under the bus with his comments during a press conference with the Cowboys.
lam said, “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.”
Those comments alone would indicate to anyone that Elam’s mindset was not where it needed to be.
Just because he was a first-round pick doesn’t mean the starting role would be handed to him. During his rookie season, he was outplayed by a sixth-round player in that same draft, Christian Benford, who has become one of the better corners in the league.
Earlier this week, Elam decided to take another underhanded shot at the Bills organization.
“I feel like the energy here is something I’ve never been a part of. I love the enthusiasm, and also I would just say the energy from the coaching staff, they actually make you feel like they care, and that’s something that’s very exciting,” said Elam.
Kaiir Elam: Energy with Cowboys is something I’ve never been part of. https://t.co/9ieSFsrDPZ
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) May 22, 2025
Since Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane took over in Buffalo, several players have taken less money to stay with the Bills, most often citing the “culture” as a key reason. This coaching staff has turned several young, late round draft guys into quality or better defensive backs. The list includes Levi Wallace, Dane Jackson, and Christian Benford. Safeties Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde became first and second-team All-Pros, respectively, under the tutelage of McDermott and the Bills staff.
It’s highly doubtful the Bills organization decided to draft Elam with the 23rd overall pick, just to put him on the bench, or “in the back seat.”
In a place where many defensive backs have excelled, Elam failed to make an impact. When he was on the field, he was a liability. The Bills are trying to win a Super Bowl and the fewer liabilities they have on the roster, the better their chances of realizing that goal.
