Elam Fairing well in Big D.

[Richard Noggin]

He was so badly miscast in McD's predominant off-coverage alignments and read-and-react schemes. His draft pick had all the makings of a reactive, need-based move to not miss out on the last "top"-graded CB once KC nabbed McDuffie.

 

Despite the poor scheme/technique fit, unfortunate injuries, limited snaps, and what seemed like a uniquely poor mesh with DBs coach John Butler, Elam in his Bills career STILL had 2 big INTs off Mahomes, 1 of which came in the playoffs. He also, admittedly, was an absolute game-changing liability in last year's AFC title game in KC after Benford went down. 

 

The Bills defense definitely hasn't been as adaptive and strengths-based in its player development and WoW gameplanning as the Bills offense has. Kromer and Brady are incredibly flexible and responsive to what their guys do best, in my opinion. Kromer especially has been able to customize run blocking and pass blocking techniques and schemes based on what each dude does best. Felt like when Elam entered the game against KC, the Bills didn't have a specific contingency designed to maximize his strengths or minimize his weaknesses. They might have even further simplified their gameplan away from his strengths, making it more predictable and easier to exploit. 

 

Edit: Elam might also just be a limited, handsy CB who can bump-and-run and not much else.

Edited July 27 by Richard Noggin

[FieldGeneral]

My biggest issue is WHY draft a CB that doesn’t play your style of defense? This was a huge miss. We didn’t have the luxury to take a chance on him.

[eball]

1 hour ago, FieldGeneral said:

My biggest issue is WHY draft a CB that doesn’t play your style of defense? This was a huge miss. We didn’t have the luxury to take a chance on him.

Why is this continually mentioned? OBVIOUSLY Beane’s scouts saw traits they believed could be developed in the Bills’ scheme. They were wrong. It happens more than 50% of time. Give it a rest. 
 

[Royale with Cheese]

6 hours ago, FieldGeneral said:

My biggest issue is WHY draft a CB that doesn’t play your style of defense? This was a huge miss. We didn’t have the luxury to take a chance on him.

I think the Bills Front Office and Coaching staff understand their defense enough to believe if a player fits or not.

Edited July 27 by Royale with Cheese

[Gugny]

21 minutes ago, Royale with Cheese said:

I think the Bills Front Office and Coaching staff understand their defense enough to believe if a player fits or not.

One would think. 
 

But Beane has drafted and acquired multiple players who were not fits. 
 

Most glaringly, Hines. Beane would have seemingly traded his own mother to get a pass catching running back that off season. 
 

He gets a great one … who proceeds to become a special teamer. 
 

The disconnect between McDermott and Beane has been clear from day one. 

[Alphadawg7]

13 hours ago, Bruffalo said:

 

Looks like he was holding him the whole way down the field, which was one of the constant issues noted about Elam. Not trying to rag on the guy, I hope he does well, I just wouldn't expect it. 

 

Fun celebration I guess though. 

Yeah it was fun to see him with the kid and excitement he was playing with, but you are right.
 

I do wish him well and think the change could be good - BUT - that would be a flag, he was holding his shoulder almost the whole route, you are gonna get that called most the time, it was pretty blatant, and that is his biggest issue.  He plays physical, and on one hand you love that, but on the other he struggles to control it and what we saw with him is when he has to keep his hands off it’s like he seems less confident or a step behind.  
 

If the kid can figure out how to keep his hands under control while still playing with the same confidence and anticipation, he could be be a good player.

 

But as others have pointed out, several clips on his ints in camp have included some questionable hand activity throughout the route that could or would get called for a flag in a game.  
 

And when he starts drawing flags it’s like he almost over corrects and then that’s when he’s gotten torched.  Pulling for him, but since college, his issue has been too reliant on his use of his hands in being physical.  

Edited July 27 by Alphadawg7

[Sierra Foothills]

4 minutes ago, Alphadawg7 said:

Yeah it was fun to see him with the kid and excitement he was playing with, but you are right.
 

I do wish him well and think the change could be good - BUT - that would be a flag, he was holding his shoulder almost the whole route, you are gonna get that called most the time, it was pretty blatant, and that is his biggest issue.  He plays physical, and on one hand you love that, but on the other he struggles to control it and what we saw with him is when he has to keep his hands off it’s like he seems less confident or a step behind.  
 

If the kid can figure out how to keep his hands under control while still playing with the same confidence and anticipation, he could be be a good player.

 

But as others have pointed out, several clips on his ints in camp have included some questionable hand activity throughout the route that could or would get called for a flag in a game.  
 

And when he starts drawing flags it’s like he almost over corrects and then that’s when he’s gotten torched.  Pulling for him, but since college, his issue has been too reliant on his use of his hands in being physical.  

 

So essentially you really feel he needs to improve his footwork?

 

🙃

 

Edited July 27 by Sierra Foothills

[Ralonzo]

13 hours ago, Sierra Foothills said:

 

I hope the kid got the ball back...

 

I hope the parents got the kid back...

[Royale with Cheese]

1 hour ago, Gugny said:

One would think. 
 

But Beane has drafted and acquired multiple players who were not fits. 
 

Most glaringly, Hines. Beane would have seemingly traded his own mother to get a pass catching running back that off season. 
 

He gets a great one … who proceeds to become a special teamer. 
 

The disconnect between McDermott and Beane has been clear from day one. 

Players not working out doesn’t mean they are not fits.  After 8 seasons and hundreds of players coming in and out of the locker room - when some don’t work out it’s because Beane and McDermott are disconnected?  Come on.

[Gugny]

9 minutes ago, Royale with Cheese said:

Players not working out doesn’t mean they are not fits.  After 8 seasons and hundreds of players coming in and out of the locker room - when some don’t work out it’s because Beane and McDermott are disconnected?  Come on.

Well, that’s not what I said. And my example wasn’t of a player not working out. Hines barely saw the field as a RB with the Bills. It was very, very clear that Beane and McDermott were not aligned. 
 

[Royale with Cheese]

21 minutes ago, Gugny said:

Well, that’s not what I said. And my example wasn’t of a player not working out. Hines barely saw the field as a RB with the Bills. It was very, very clear that Beane and McDermott were not aligned. 
 

So it wasn’t our offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey that didn’t involve Hines, it was our offensive coordinator Sean McDermott that didn’t involve Hines?

 

I mean you said that Beane and McDermott haven’t connected since the very first day.  And your one example is a 3rd string RB.

[Gugny]

14 minutes ago, Royale with Cheese said:

So it wasn’t our offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey that didn’t involve Hines, it was our offensive coordinator Sean McDermott that didn’t involve Hines?

 

I mean you said that Beane and McDermott haven’t connected since the very first day.  And your one example is a 3rd string RB.

You're being silly and I refuse to play your games. Go find @teef if you’re looking for that.  
 

Toodles. 😘

[3rdand12]

14 hours ago, FieldGeneral said:

My biggest issue is WHY draft a CB that doesn’t play your style of defense? This was a huge miss. We didn’t have the luxury to take a chance on him.

Unless they were changing the scheme. Which did not work out for Elam or Bills. Maybe they thought he would fit with the tweaks and such ?
Wish him well of course. But Dallas ?

eff them

7 hours ago, Gugny said:

One would think. 
 

But Beane has drafted and acquired multiple players who were not fits. 
 

Most glaringly, Hines. Beane would have seemingly traded his own mother to get a pass catching running back that off season. 
 

He gets a great one … who proceeds to become a special teamer. 
 

The disconnect between McDermott and Beane has been clear from day one. 

The disconnect was likely a work in progress. Agreed that they have drafted together enough players to suggest something was missing between them on draft day. and trying to recover in FA at times.

Much improved imho though 

[BigDingus]

15 hours ago, FieldGeneral said:

My biggest issue is WHY draft a CB that doesn’t play your style of defense? This was a huge miss. We didn’t have the luxury to take a chance on him.

 

Because you'd think he'd be able to learn it in 3 years...

 

Elam spent just as much time in Buffalo's system than he did in his last system, yet he couldn't figure it out. It's also not like the Bills don't ask DBs to play man coverage at all. He wasn't even good in that. 

 

Most players will have to adjust to new concepts when going from college to NFL, so if Elam's only way to succeed was by playing in an identical scheme as he played in college, then he was always bound to fail.

[JohnNord]

On 7/24/2025 at 6:30 PM, Simon said:

Dude.

It's practice.

Yes… and that pick from Dak was a terrible overthrow.  Watch Elam in the AFCCG….nuff said.  

[GaryPinC]

1 hour ago, JohnNord said:

Yes… and that pick from Dak was a terrible overthrow.  Watch Elam in the AFCCG….nuff said.  

I can't understand why Dak threw it there,  Elam just had outside position on the receiver and it's like Dak didn't see him.  Dak shouldn't have made the throw or instead put it on the receiver's back shoulder.  Good luck Dallas!

[JohnNord]

17 minutes ago, GaryPinC said:

I can't understand why Dak threw it there,  Elam just had outside position on the receiver and it's like Dak didn't see him.  Dak shouldn't have made the throw or instead put it on the receiver's back shoulder.  Good luck Dallas!

Like most Bills fans I wish the best for Elam.  But I feel like there’s been a lot of overreacting over this INT which was a horrendous throw.  

[buffblue]

17 hours ago, FieldGeneral said:

My biggest issue is WHY draft a CB that doesn’t play your style of defense? This was a huge miss. We didn’t have the luxury to take a chance on him.

Because he had a nice notebook

[ColoradoBills]

15 minutes ago, JohnNord said:

Like most Bills fans I wish the best for Elam.  But I feel like there’s been a lot of overreacting over this INT which was a horrendous throw.  

 

I'm shocked.  Usually, this place is the epitome of rationalism.

[Alphadawg7]

1 hour ago, JohnNord said:

Like most Bills fans I wish the best for Elam.  But I feel like there’s been a lot of overreacting over this INT which was a horrendous throw.  

 

People are talking because he has had a lot of Ints in camp so far and been a standout so far for them.  Means very little right now, and honestly some of them I felt like he could have drawn a flag, but I wish him well and he is at least off to about as good as start as he could have had there.  Pads aren't on, Refs are not in full force.  He has a lot to still prove, but he is being talked about because he has been on the best guys in camp for them.