The Dallas Cowboys added some much-needed secondary depth last week, trading for Buffalo Bills corner Kaiir Elam.
Elam, of course, has had a rough couple of years thanks in large part due to injury issues and inconsistency on the feild, leading the Bills to move on from their one-time first-round pick. As a result, Elam comes to Arlington with something to prove.
Afterall, as he revealed to a Dallas Cowboys media contingent on Monday, he felt underappreciated by his former team, and thinks he is capable of much more.
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"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," Elam said, via The Athletic's Jon Machota. "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."
Over the last three seasons, Elam has missed a total of 22 regular season games and has not recorded a regular season interception since his rookie season in 2022. That said, he has recorded two playoff interceptions in his career.
Bills Kaiir Elam celebrates his fumble recovery against Miami during second half action at Highmark Stadium
Bills Kaiir Elam celebrates his fumble recovery against Miami during second half action at Highmark Stadium / Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Now, Elam is in Dallas and ready to take advantage of his new opportunity.
"It was a blessing and a privilege to be traded to the Cowboys," Elam said. "The big market and the tradition here is something that I'm in love with right now. Being able to just go prove myself and help this team win, that's all I'm committed to right now."
Fortunately for Elam, with the uncertainties surrounding the position due to a lack of depth and injury issues, his chances to prove himself should come in abundance.
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