The Dallas Cowboys have beaten around the bush thus far in free agency, leading many folks to think that a trade might be the more realistic avenue to significantly improving the roster.
Well, the front office got the trade memo. They just missed the bar on the "significantly improve" aspect of it all.
Per insider Josina Anderson, the Cowboys have acquired cornerback Kaiir Elam from the Bills. Reports have stated Dallas will get Elam and a sixth-round pick in exchange for fifth- and seventh-round picks, but the trade's terms have not been made official just yet.
Cowboys trade for former Bills first-round pick Kaiir Elam
Editor's note: The Bills have officially announced that they have acquired a 2025 fifth-round pick and a 2026 seventh-round pick from the Cowboys for Kaiir Elam and a 2025 sixth-round pick.
A former first-round pick in 2022, Elam does not move the needle whatsoever. He was benched at various points during his Bills tenure and got picked on by the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game. This is very much a dart throw by Dallas, but they are not in a position to be picky.
Their cornerback room was (and still is) desperate for bodies after Jourdan Lewis inked a big deal with the Jaguars.
Related: Cowboys laughably sign former first-round bust after losing stud defender
Trevon Diggs could miss as many as two months of next season after undergoing major knee surgery. The same can be said about Josh Butler, who suffered a torn ACL in December after impressing following his promotion from the practice squad. 2024 fifth-round pick Caelen Carson is also recovering from a season-ending shoulder injury.
DaRon Bland is the only "sure thing" at the position and there are some reservations about whether he's a true No. 1 corner.
It stands to reason that Elamn will compete for a spot on the outside opposite Bland until Diggs is cleared to return. Almost all of his career snaps have come on the outside. In fact, he's played just 10 career snaps in the nickel compared to 866 out wide, per PFF.
Elam was passed on the Bills' depth chart by Christian Benford and others without offering much resistance. In 29 career games, he's allowed a 106.1 passer rating, 12.5 yards per catch and a 75.6% completion rate when targeted.
The general public will clown the front office for making the trade because Elam is a "bust" and that is simply how the world works. While not a needle-mover, though, the Cowboys ultimately got a player they really liked coming out of Florida at their weakest position for minimal draft capital.
This team has made much worse moves in the Jerry Jones era.