The Chicago Bears are not short on talent in their secondary heading into the 2024 season, but general manager Ryan Poles has said he is always looking for ways to improve the team. Could that persuade him to take a shot on a former Buffalo Bills first-round pick rumored to be on the NFL trade block?
The Bears took measures in the 2024 offseason to improve their secondary. They signed All-Pro cornerback Jaylon Johnson to a four-year, $76 million contract extension and brought in ball hawk Kevin Byard III to replace Eddie Jackson as their new free safety. Additionally, they signed veteran rotational safety Jonathan Owens to a two-year deal.
All in all, the group is sturdy, especially with three recent second-round picks — Jaquan Brisker, Kyler Gordon and Tyrique Stevenson — pumping youth into the secondary.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox, however, believes they could have an opportunity to get even better if the Bills are looking to move 2022 first-round cornerback Kaiir Elam. The third-year pro has struggled to secure a consistent role with the Bills defense, but a fresh start with a new defense — one that could deploy his length, speed and physicality — might benefit the talented 23-year-old and help him shed the first-round bust label.
Knox argued the Bears would be a “logical” choice to give him his fresh start, too.
“While their defensive needs aren’t as great, it’s worth noting that defensive coordinator Eric Washington was a senior defensive assistant in Buffalo the year Elam was drafted,” Knox wrote in his September 4 article looking at the NFL trade block ahead of Week 1.
Kaiir Elam Approaching 1st-Round Bust Territory
Elam still has two more seasons left on his four-year, $13.6 million rookie contract with Buffalo, but the Bills could have reason to move him before the NFL trade deadline in November if either he starts slow in 2024 or their other corners continue to impress.
Elam has not lived up to first-round expectations over his first two NFL seasons. The Bills traded up two spots in the 2022 draft to select him at No. 23 overall, hoping he could add a playmaker to their defense after they failed to secure one in free agency. And originally, it seemed as though Elam could be exactly that while they waited for All-Pro starter Tre’Davious White to recover from his torn ACL sustained in 2022.
Elam started in six of the first eight games for the Bills in 2022, notching 34 tackles, three pass deflections, and two interceptions, but an ankle injury limited him to just 21 defensive snaps over the next five games. Once he returned in Week 15, things began to quickly tumble downhill for Elam as he played behind other corners on the depth chart.
Elam then took a considerable step backward in 2023. He tallied just 14 tackles in three games, making two starts. He also missed the other 14 games due to a combination of injury troubles and the Bills’ decision to make him a healthy scratch. By the end of his second season, his long-term future in Buffalo had grown hazy, hence the trade rumors.
On the bright side, Elam did look better in his third NFL training camp and finished as one of the Bills’ top performers in the 2024 offseason. The Bills might not have much patience if he struggles to start the year and wanders back into bust territory, though.
How Low Would Bears Need Trade Price to Be?
Now, it is fair to wonder why the Bears would want to trade for a former first-round cornerback who is struggling to earn a place on his original team. They have good depth at the position between their three starters and 2023 fifth-round pick Terell Smith, and reclamation projects are usually most sensible when a team has a clear positional need.
What could pique the Bears’ interest in Elam, though, is his potential price tag.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Bills garnered trade interest in Elam ahead of the 2023 trade deadline, and while they opted not to deal him away, they could be more open to the possibility if he remains on the bench for the first half of the 2024 season. If the latter becomes true, the Bills wouldn’t have much leverage to demand a high return.
Buffalo would likely land greater trade compensation than Chicago got for trading wide receiver Chase Claypool to the Miami Dolphins last season — a pick-swap in which the Bears gave up Claypool and a seventh-round pick in exchange for a sixth-rounder. The pick-swap approach, however, would be realistic if Elam disappointed out of the gates.
In such a scenario, the Bears could potentially offer a 2024 fifth-round pick to the Bills in exchange for Elam and a sixth-round pick. The return would still be low for Buffalo considering the team invested a top-25 pick in Elam two years ago, but it would likely still turn out better for them than if they were to wait and Elam’s value dropped further.
Of course, the Bears would need to feel confident about their ability to salvage Elam and turn him into a quality NFL cornerback. But if Washington sees a difference-maker in him, the logistics could make sense.
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