Elam is coming off a strong training camp as Buffalo gets ready for its preseason opener against the Bears on Saturday, Maddy Glab of the Bills' official site reports. Veteran teammate Dion Dawkins said this week, "I'm happy that '5' is doing what he does now, and he can show us why he's a first-round pick ... when he gets in a game, Kaiir does what he does, and he's in practice and he's showing it. I'm just happy that Kaiir is feeling more like his self."
Rasul Douglas and Christian Benford are the two carryover starters from last season at the corner spots, while hybrid player Taron Johnson is probably the best secondary player left on the team, so Elam becoming a starter is far from a certainty. However, the Bills run a defense in which several corners see the field with regularity, and Elam -- the team's 2022 first-round pick who hasn't really panned out yet, partly due to injuries -- looks to be in that mix after making some big strides this offseason.
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Bills' Kaiir Elam: Entering important third season
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Elam received extra reps throughout the spring due to veteran Rasul Douglas missing the voluntary OTA sessions, Chris Brown of the Bills' official site reports.
Elam hasn't quite panned out yet as a first-round draft choice from 2022, but all the talk around the Bills this offseason seems to indicate the team is going to give him a fair crack at playing time in 2024. He's currently listed as a backup behind Douglas (who did show up for all non-voluntary work) and holdover Christian Benford, but with Tre'Davious White departing to the Rams, there's a real chance for Elam to see meaningful playing time, whether as a key backup or even sneaking his way into a starter's role.
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Bills' Kaiir Elam: Ready for next step?
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Elam, who missed most of the 2023 regular season due to an ankle injury and coaching decisions, finished with 14 total tackles over three regular-season games.
Elam did appear in both of the Bills' playoff games, though he was limited to special teams in the divisional-round loss to the Chiefs. So far in his young career, Elam's output in two NFL seasons hasn't come close to matching his first-round status, but the Bills had to let several secondary members move on this season and will likely spend one of their high picks on receiver, so Elam may be earmarked for a more prominent role in 2024 even if he's not a starter just yet. Some comments from team brass in the offseason have indicated the Bills are hopeful Elam is ready to make that jump in performance.
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Bills' Kaiir Elam: Back on active roster
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Elam (ankle) was activated from injured reserve Wednesday.
Elam was designated to return from IR on Dec. 6, and he's finally rejoining the active roster three weeks later. Buffalo's first-round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft will have a chance to slot back in at cornerback Sunday against the Patriots.
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Bills' Kaiir Elam: Getting close to return
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Elam (ankle) was a full participant on Tuesday's practice estimate.
Elam has been practicing with the team since he was designated to return from IR on Dec. 6, which has the second-year pro currently 13 days into his 21-day practice window. With his window getting closer to an end, assuming he's healthy enough to play, Elam has a good chance of returning Saturday against the Chargers.
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Bills' Kaiir Elam: Won't play Week 14
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Elam (ankle) will not be activated from injured reserve ahead of Sunday's game against the Chiefs, Matt Parrino of The Syracuse Post-Standard reports.
Elam resumed practicing Wednesday, but Buffalo isn't yet ready to fully activate him from IR. If Elam isn't activated within his 21-day practice window, he will be forced to remain on IR for the rest of the season. His next chance to return to the lineup will come Week 15 against the Cowboys.
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Bills' Kaiir Elam: DNP on Wednesday with ankle injury
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Elam (ankle) won't practice Wednesday, Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News reports.
Elam has appeared in just three of Buffalo's first eight games, usually serving as a healthy scratch. The 2022 first-round draft pick is now dealing with an ankle injury, but even if Elam recovers by Sunday's game against the Bengals, there's no guarantee that he'll crack Buffalo's game day lineup, something that may be even more difficult for him after the Bills traded for Rasul Douglas this week.
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Bills' Kaiir Elam: In mix for starting job
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Elam is in the running for the starting cornerback job opposite Tre'Davious White, Patrick Warren of the Bills' official site reports.
Defensive backs coach John Butler implied Tuesday that the job is a three-way race between Elam, Dane Jackson and Christian Benford, and all have mixed in with the first-team defense during the early portion of training camp. Butler had good things to say about Elam, the team's 2022 first-rounder out of Florida. Said the coach: "All those plays that he's made so far in this camp, whether it be in one-on-one situations, which he's done a nice job of in our individual one-on-ones or in team have been when he starts at the line of scrimmage, can contest the wideout, he can minimize the space and he's done a nice job of that so far." Elam has the most upside of the three players, though Jackson and Benford offer some things that Elam can't yet, so while Elam might be a slight favorite, this will be one of the team's bigger job battles throughout August.
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Bills' Kaiir Elam: Not listed on injury report
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Elam (leg) isn't listed on the injury report Wednesday.
Elam left Buffalo's wild-card win over Miami early due to leg cramps, but he should be good to go for Sunday's divisional-round matchup against Cincinnati. The rookie first-round pick has played a significant rotational role for the Bills' defense this year, so his availability should be a solid boost against Joe Burrow and the Bengals' balanced passing attack. He also might be pushed into a starter's role this weekend if Dane Jackson (knee) is unable to suit up.
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Bills' Kaiir Elam: Leaves with injury
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Elam exited Sunday's 34-31 win over the Dolphins with leg cramps.
Elam was unable to finish the game. However, if it was just leg cramps it's unlikely to impact the rookie corner's availability next weekend. His practice status in the days ahead will likely shed more light on his potential to play in the AFC divisional round.
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Bills' Kaiir Elam: Won't play Thursday
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Elam (coach's decision) will not play in Thursday Night Football against the Patriots, Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com reports.
Elam missed back-to-back games with an ankle injury before returning against the Lions on Thanksgiving Day. However, Bills coach Sean McDermott said the rookie first-round pick still dealt with pain from this issue while playing against Detroit, causing him to slot into a backup role behind Christian Benford, per Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com. While Benford (oblique) was placed on injured reserve Saturday, Elam will sit once again despite being considered a full participant in each practice Week 13. As a result, expect Dane Jackson, Xavier Rhodes and Tre'Davious White to serve as the Bills' top cornerbacks against New England.
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Bills' Kaiir Elam: Full participant in walkthrough
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Elam (ankle) was listed as a full participant on Monday's estimated injury report, according to Chris Brown of the Bills' official site.
Elam picked up an ankle injury Week 9 versus the Jets and was sidelined for the following game against Minnesota. The rookie first-round pick returned to practice in full last Friday, but he was still ruled inactive for Sunday's win over the Browns. However, Elam appears to be ready to play again given his status in Monday's estimated sessions, so he'll likely slot back into a quasi-starter role against the Lions on Thanksgiving Day.
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Bills' Kaiir Elam: Sitting out in Week 10
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Elam (ankle) is listed as inactive for Sunday's game against the Vikings.
As expected, Elam won't play in Sunday's contest versus Minnesota as a result of an ankle injury he sustained during last Sunday's matchup against the Jets. In the rookie first-rounder's absence, Dane Jackson and Taron Johnson are in line for expanded roles at cornerback in Week 10.
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Bills' Kaiir Elam: Competing for starting job
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Elam, drafted 23rd overall in April, is expected to compete for a starting spot opposite Tre'Davious White, Dante Lasting of the Bills' official site reports.
The open spot seems to be up for grabs between Elam and veterans Siran Neal and Dane Jackson. Neal may be more valuable in a more all-around role due to his versatility, and if that comes into fruition, then Elam would simply have to beat out Jackson for the starting job. Elam has upside and recent draft capital in his favor, so winning the starting gig may come down to his ability to catch on with the pro game. Jackson has familiarity in Leslie Frazier's defense and spent some time as a starter last season after White went down with a knee injury.
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Bills' Kaiir Elam: Inks first NFL deal
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Elam, who was chosen No. 23 overall in the recent draft, has signed his rookie contract, the Bills' official site reports. The team has also announced that all other draft picks have signed.
Now that the paperwork is out of the way, Elam can get on with trying to earn the starting cornerback spot across from Tre'Davious White. The team opens the NFL's season in prime time against the Super Bowl champion Rams.
