Insider Notes on 2025 NFL Free Agency: Why Kaiir Elam is a steal for Cowboys, CB's second life in the league and more

The Dallas Cowboys have made a lot of questionable decisions since the end of the 2024 season, but did the team get a steal when they traded for cornerback Kaiir Elam, giving little in return? A lot of people in the league believe so and think Dallas will get this former first-round bust to play up to expectations. Here’s why.

When Elam was selected by the Buffalo Bills with the 23rd selection of the 2022 NFL Draft, most people were surprised, yet they thought the team got a steal. Most had the Bills pegged to take Breece Hall out of Iowa State, as the team needed a running back. Yet they added depth to their secondary with Elam, who was graded as the fourth-best cornerback in that draft.

Elam's disappointing stint in Buffalo

Starting six games as a rookie, Elam was limited to just three the following season after suffering a knee injury. Christian Benford took over in his absence, and the team’s sixth-round pick in 2022 never gave the job back. Elam started just four games last season, finishing with 26 tackles and zero interceptions.

Hence the decision was made to move on from Elam, and the Bills received a pittance for the cornerback. In return for trading Elam and a sixth-round pick in this year’s draft to the Dallas Cowboys, the Bills received a fifth-round selection next month and a seventh-round choice in 2026.

Yet with so much disappointment on his resume, why do people believe the Cowboys may have come away with a steal?

Why the Cowboys may have struck lightning in a bottle with Elam

Firstly, Elam is not a problem player, rather a very technical cornerback who studies game film and works on his preparation. His biggest problem is his emotions, as Elam struggles getting it back together after he gets beat; and that’s something you can’t do at the cornerback spot.

The big reason people believe Dallas may have struck lightning in a bottle with Elam is scheme; he was in the wrong scheme with the Bills, but the Dallas system will play to his strengths. Elam struggled in the mostly zone scheme he lined up in for Buffalo. Yet Dallas plays mostly man, which fits his physical style.

Prior to the 2022 NFL Draft, my scouting report on Elam reflected exactly this sentiment, as I mentioned that Elam had a physical style, engaging opponents at the line of scrimmage and staying step for step with receivers all over the field. I talked about the explosion, suddenness and aggression Elam played with, and his polished ball skills.

Unfortunately for the 2022 first-round pick and the team that drafted him, none of these skills translated to the NFL system he was thrown into. Elam now has a second life in the NFL, and many expect that the change of scenery, and new system, will do him well.

The Cowboys have taken a lot of criticism this offseason; from the elevation of Brian Schottenheimer to head coach to several questionable moves during the first week of free agency, the experts have not been kind to the franchise. Yet trading for a former first-round pick who admits he now has a chip on his shoulder could be something the team and its fans fondly look back on.