What of Elam now??

[BuffBillsForLife]

What would this board's reaction have been if Beane traded Elam for a conditional 2025 7th rounder?  

[Augie]

1 minute ago, newcam2012 said:

Rumor was teams were only willing to give up a 7th round draft pick for him. 

 

Are you owning that rumor?   😋

 

 

I love internet rumors!  

[BillsFanForever19]

As I said in another post, the returns offered must not have been much more than a bag of balls.

 

And at that point, it's better to just hold on to him and hope he's a late bloomer. Some players come in the league and have it right off the bat. Some players just never work out. And some players it takes years before the light goes on.

 

Rasul Douglas was a former 3rd Round Pick of the Eagles who didn't work out. He then floated around the league a bunch. Took advantage of an opportunity on the Packers Practice Squad and then became a very solid starting ballhawk CB.

 

Geno Smith was a bust through and through. Spent some years floating around the league and now he looks like a completely different player.

 

Even AJ Epenesa. He was a complete afterthought. A total bust. And over the past year, the light has come on and he's playing his best ball.

 

Long story short, if the returns being offered equate to us essentially giving him away - it's better to take the chance that maybe he'll figure it out for us. Rather than how it would look to spend a 1st on him, give him away for nothing, and watch him develop for someone else.

[BaaadThingsMan]

He ain't done in Buffalo just yet

[Dunkirk Donski]

Do we know for sure Elam was on the trade block or was that just speculation?

[LyndonvilleBill]

2 minutes ago, Dunkirk Donski said:

Do we know for sure Elam was on the trade block or was that just speculation?

All speculation from what I can tell.

[Airseven]

3 minutes ago, Dunkirk Donski said:

Do we know for sure Elam was on the trade block or was that just speculation?

It was assumption. Too much circumstantial evidence to call it speculation.

[FireChans]

5 minutes ago, BillsFanForever19 said:

As I said in another post, the returns offered must not have been much more than a bag of balls.

 

And at that point, it's better to just hold on to him and hope he's a late bloomer. Some players come in the league and have it right off the bat. Some players just never work out. And some players it takes years before the light goes on.

 

Rasul Douglas was a former 3rd Round Pick of the Eagles who didn't work out. He then floated around the league a bunch. Took advantage of an opportunity on the Packers Practice Squad and then became a very solid starting ballhawk CB.

 

Geno Smith was a bust through and through. Spent some years floating around the league and now he looks like a completely different player.

 

Even AJ Epenesa. He was a complete afterthought. A total bust. And over the past year, the light has come on and he's playing his best ball.

 

Long story short, if the returns being offered equate to us essentially giving him away - it's better to take the chance that maybe he'll figure it out for us. Rather than how it would look to spend a 1st on him, give him away for nothing, and watch him develop for someone else.

This is correct.

 

Elam was 100% available for anything of value. A conditional 7th if he makes it through camp next year is completely worthless at this point. 
 

And so here he remains. 

[billsfan89]

Probably will continue to be inactive unless there is an injury. McD is the best secondary coach in the league in my opinion if anyone can turn an athlete like Elam around it would be McD. 
 

Elam hopefully will stick with it at practice and understand the system better and get a chance to rebound at some point.

[Peter]

1 hour ago, PayDaBill$ said:

He’s pretty raw but not without talent. He cost next to nothing.  Get him some reps & experience. No need to give up on him yet.

 

I agree. I also think he has talent and there certainly is no reason to give up on him/give him away.

 

I also am old enough to remember how some here and on WGR and the Buffalo media were relentless with respect to having to draft a CB in that draft.

 

The Elam pick is a great example of why (in my judgment) teams should draft BPA rather than need.*

 

* Yes, I know that Beane says the Bills draft according to their board and that Elam was the only CB left with a first round grade.

Edited October 31, 2023 by Peter

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

21 minutes ago, BuffBillsForLife said:

What would this board's reaction have been if Beane traded Elam for a conditional 2025 7th rounder?  

[nedboy7]

He will play when someone gets hurt.  These 3 CBs are not gonna miss one more game? 

[FireChans]

12 minutes ago, Peter said:

 

I agree. I also think he has talent and there certainly is no reason to give up on him/give him away.

 

I also am old enough to remember how some here and on WGR and the Buffalo media were relentless with respect to having to draft a CB in that draft.

 

The Elam pick is a great example of why (in my judgment) teams should draft BPA rather than need.*

 

* Yes, I know that Beane says the Bills draft according to their board and that Elam was the only CB left with a first round grade.

Just once, I’d love to see a GM be like “yeah, we missed out on one of our targets so we took this dude because we needed a CB.”

[eSJayDee]

The simple problem w/ cutting him or trading him is his cap #.  As a 1st round pick, he had a big signing bonus, which would accelerate if jettisoned.  According to Sportrac, it'd cost roughly an extra $8m in cap to dump him rather than keep him.  Easier/cheaper/more prudent to just keep him on the roster & inactive every week.

[strive_for_five_guy]

2 minutes ago, nedboy7 said:

He will play when someone gets hurt.  These 3 CBs are not gonna miss one more game? 

I mean it will take a least two of them being hurt at the same time.  Even Norman is ahead of him on the game day depth chart now.  Seems at least the coaching staff has serious concerns about Elam’s ability to perform in this system still.

[BBFL]

Obviously the tried to trade him? I didn’t see anything that suggested they were trying to trade or get rid of him. Sure they brought in replacements but I feel that’s more a part of Tre getting injured and the play being inconsistent from the other cornerbacks. 
 

Not saying they are not willing to move on but I haven’t seen anything that alluded to him being on the trade block for these past weeks. Unhappy with the production? Sure, hence the healthy scratches. 

[14774]

Position switch? Try him as a WR.🤷‍♂️

[Donuts and Doritos]

I heard he's really young, so he'll be fine. 

 

[nedboy7]

3 minutes ago, strive_for_five_guy said:

I mean it will take a least two of them being hurt at the same time.  Even Norman is ahead of him on the game day depth chart now.  Seems at least the coaching staff has serious concerns about Elam’s ability to perform in this system still.

 

Norm will pull a hammy on the first play is my guess. 

[Low Positive]

9 minutes ago, FireChans said:

Just once, I’d love to see a GM be like “yeah, we missed out on one of our targets so we took this dude because we needed a CB.”

You can't say that. Think back to when Tim Murray was honest about being disappointed about getting Jack Eicehel instead of McDavid. The honesty was nice, but the relationship between the team and the player was doomed from the start because of it.

[FireChans]

1 minute ago, FrenchConnection said:

You can't say that. Think back to when Tim Murray was honest about being disappointed about getting Jack Eicehel instead of McDavid. The honesty was nice, but the relationship between the team and the player was doomed from the start because of it.

No I know they can't.  But it's why it's so funny that fans are like "they said this was their best player on their board left!"

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

3 minutes ago, FrenchConnection said:

You can't say that. Think back to when Tim Murray was honest about being disappointed about getting Jack Eicehel instead of McDavid. The honesty was nice, but the relationship between the team and the player was doomed from the start because of it.

But to paraphrase Troy from 'Community', Murray is "human tennis elbow. He is a pizza burn on the roof of the world's mouth. He is the opposite of Batman."

[K-9]

1 hour ago, PayDaBill$ said:

He’s pretty raw but not without talent. He cost next to nothing.  Get him some reps & experience. No need to give up on him yet.

Can’t give him reps at the expense of better players currently. That’s not giving up on him, that’s just saying it’s not his turn yet when better players are getting those reps. 

[Success]

Fun fact:  Kaiir Elam is 22 years old.

 

[BananaB]

23 minutes ago, 14774 said:

Position switch? Try him as a WR.🤷‍♂️

Start teaching him safety, that’s where his father played. 

[JMM]

1 hour ago, warrior9 said:

It's not a foolish troll.

 

You don't have good information to suggest that. You assumed. What type of good info and logical reference would lead you to believe a Beane / McDermott team would shop a second year first round pick that THEY drafted? They believe in draft and develop. His post was far from a troll.. Seems like yours is more of a troll, tbh. 

Hmm, let's see I posted an OPINION, on a message board. How OUTRAGEOUS! I mean if we dont speak on known 100% facts, then possibly the internet police should come for me. Shudder...Now let's see, local pundits that cover the team for a living stated this was likely. National pundits also suggested it, many on this board did as well. But hey , what do they know? Good enough? Remember though

, from now on, nobody on this OPINION board is allowed to state ONE, they can only comment on KNOWN FACT.  Assumption is STRICTLY PROHIBITED. Right?

[3rdand12]

52 minutes ago, K-9 said:

Can’t give him reps at the expense of better players currently. That’s not giving up on him, that’s just saying it’s not his turn yet when better players are getting those reps. 

so when does he become a better player and able to play zone and man as needed each snap ?

Everything returns to coaching. or lack there of ?

[K-9]

6 minutes ago, 3rdand12 said:

so when does he become a better player and able to play zone and man as needed each snap ?

Everything returns to coaching. or lack there of ?

He’s had every opportunity with the same coaching as other much less heralded players that continue to out perform him. It’s entirely up to him at this point. 

[GETTOTHE50]

1 hour ago, Success said:

Fun fact:  Kaiir Elam is 22 years old.

 

younger or older than edmunds?

[Rigotz]

3 hours ago, Einstein said:

 

A rookie corner with 2 interceptions in two big games last year... all the physical talent in the world... on a cheap contract.

 

Yes, throw him in the trash after 1.5 seasons. Useless.

[daz28]

1 hour ago, Success said:

Fun fact:  Kaiir Elam is 22 years old.

 

We all knew he needed to not only learn the system, but learn off coverage, too.  Hopefully, he's a late bloomer, and he has the physical skills to do this.  Sometimes it just clicks.  Worst case scenario we have an expensive Cam Lewis for 2 years.  I'd rather wait that out, than get a 6th round pick now.  I'm glad he will get another shot next year.  Rasul softens the blow on the draft capital we spent on him, too.   

[JoPoy88]

1 hour ago, JMM said:

Hmm, let's see I posted an OPINION, on a message board. How OUTRAGEOUS! I mean if we dont speak on known 100% facts, then possibly the internet police should come for me. Shudder...Now let's see, local pundits that cover the team for a living stated this was likely. National pundits also suggested it, many on this board did as well. But hey , what do they know? Good enough? Remember though

, from now on, nobody on this OPINION board is allowed to state ONE, they can only comment on KNOWN FACT.  Assumption is STRICTLY PROHIBITED. Right?

I guess you feel that YOUR opinions can’t be challenged/questioned? That’s the only reason I see for this little fit.

 

Yes, many local and some national football pundits thought the Bills might try to trade Elam. You turned that into “OBVIOUSLY the team tried to trade him.” Bit of reach, no? That’s why you were questioned but I guess you can’t handle that.

[Livinginthepast]

Elam = Aaron Maybin? Is that a fair comparison? or too harsh?

[stevewin]

1 hour ago, Success said:

Fun fact:  Kaiir Elam is 22 years old.

 

So 7 yrs older than Edmunds?

[DasNootz]

McDermott has had a great track record with DBs.  The fact that he can’t coach up this 1st round pick says more to me about the player than they system or coaching staff.  
 

Elam has been jumped by JAGs and an off-the-couch has-been.  The organization has every reason to develop him

and play him, but they choose not to.  Assuming they can’t trade him for - 6th or 7th this off-season, I see no scenario where he’s on the roster next season.

[Mikie2times]

[JMM]

23 minutes ago, JoPoy88 said:

I guess you feel that YOUR opinions can’t be challenged/questioned? That’s the only reason I see for this little fit.

 

Yes, many local and some national football pundits thought the Bills might try to trade Elam. You turned that into “OBVIOUSLY the team tried to trade him.” Bit of reach, no? That’s why you were questioned but I guess you can’t handle that.

In my OPINION they tried to trade him. In my OPINION,  I think it was obvious. Now what is your OPINION? Did Beane attempt to shop him, explore a trade? If your answer is no, then I have a nice bridge in NYC for sale I want to talk to u about. Beane is an excellent GM. If he didn't look into a move for him based on what we have seen especially this year,  then he wouldn't be doing his job. He did his job.

[JoPoy88]

2 minutes ago, JMM said:

In my OPINION they tried to trade him. In my OPINION,  I think it was obvious. Now what is your OPINION? Did Beane attempt to shop him, explore a trade? If your answer is no, then I have a nice bridge in NYC for sale I want to talk to u about. Beane is an excellent GM. If he didn't look into a move for him based on what we have seen especially this year,  then he wouldn't be doing his job. He did his job.

My opinion is there was nothing “obvious” surrounding the Elam situation as it stands today. There were factors, no. 1 being his play up to now, that suggested the team may try to move him. There are other factors, his draft status being no. 1, that suggested the team is nowhere close to giving up on him, especially when his trade value right now is pretty much bottomed out.

[Ethan in Cleveland]

They couldn't trade him now because his signing bonus would have eaten any remaining cap space. His dead cap hit was $11M. Even next year will be hard to move him as he will have a dead cap hit of over $8M.  He's probably on the team through 2024.

I wonder if they try to move him to nickel with a possibility he replaces Taron in 2025. 

[FireChans]

1 hour ago, JoPoy88 said:

My opinion is there was nothing “obvious” surrounding the Elam situation as it stands today. There were factors, no. 1 being his play up to now, that suggested the team may try to move him. There are other factors, his draft status being no. 1, that suggested the team is nowhere close to giving up on him, especially when his trade value right now is pretty much bottomed out.

Yeah sure, teams definitely say, “man this draft bust sucks so bad, I hope no one tries to trade for him,” lmao.

 

If teams were poking around on Elam and offering conditional 7ths, yeah Beane probably said no. But Elam being inactive pretty much every week means he was on the market, and every other GM knew it.

Edited November 1, 2023 by FireChans