RD 1, Pick 23: CB Kaiir Elam, Florida

[Lost]

24 minutes ago, Doc said:

 

The 4th only would have allowed them to move up 4 spots in the 2nd and 8 spots in the 3rd.  If there's a guy they want that badly in either of those rounds, trade a 2023 draft pick in a package.  And no one knows who would have done what had the Ravens traded him to someone else, or if the Cowboys would have taken him (I think they would have and Beane knew it).  But it was still worth spending if it meant ensuring getting a need who was also BPA.

 

My concern about trading mid round picks this year is not this season but the next 2-3.   The Bills seem semi determined to go all in this year with a lot of the moves and that's fine if we bring home a Lombardy.   But if 2022 isn't our year we have a lot of dead cap space creeping up on us the next few years and some key players we need to renegotiate next off season.   Beane said multiple times this off season that we need to nail these mid round draft picks because of the cap situation we're in right now.  Having more rookie contracts to work with will help us immensely in preventing a dropoff in talent when we can't resign players like Edmunds or Poyer next season.   

 

I'm not really disappointed with the trade or the pick given the way the board was falling but just mildly concerned about next year.  As @NewEra said, we could have likely gotten Elam without the trade up.  If Elam was snagged then Booth was still there too.

[mathja]

1 minute ago, Marvlevydraftdaygenius said:

Everyone got better than the Bills  had the chance to get that running back that could put the Bills over the top and Bills management because the Pegula's are afraid of the woke culture tries to justify Lesile Frazier as a coach how much more does it take to say that Frazier can't coach so many head coaching jobs out there and no one said yeah we like Frazier not one team considered him a coach what does that tell you.

Angry much?

Polarizing political takes ruin every conversation these days, do we have to let it seep into our football talks too?

[Simon]

1 minute ago, mathja said:

Angry much?

Polarizing political takes ruin every conversation these days, do we have to let it seep into our football talks too?

 

It's the duplicate account of a problem child and has now been removed.

Permanently.

[Rocket94]

Elam is going to be very good. 

[gobills404]

12 hours ago, BillsVet said:

 

Those two seasons are over...and bounced out by a team that prioritizes offense.  

They literally just spent a 1st, a 3rd, and a 4th on a CB and another 1st on a DE

[Doc]

10 minutes ago, DrDawkinstein said:

I believe the prevailing thought was Tennessee was trying to jump us to get Elam, and partly evidenced by the fact that when we jumped Dallas and picked Elam, Titans immediately traded out of the round. So it wasnt just Dallas we were worried about.

 

It wouldn't surprise me.  And Dallas looked dejected and took their entire 15 minutes to make a pick, a reach at that.  Again I think that Beane has finger on the pulse of the NFL. 

 

6 minutes ago, Lost said:

My concern about trading mid round picks this year is not this season but the next 2-3.   The Bills seem semi determined to go all in this year with a lot of the moves and that's fine if we bring home a Lombardy.   But if 2022 isn't our year we have a lot of dead cap space creeping up on us the next few years and some key players we need to renegotiate next off season.   Beane said multiple times this off season that we need to nail these mid round draft picks because of the cap situation we're in right now.  Having more rookie contracts to work with will help us immensely in preventing a dropoff in talent when we can't resign players like Edmunds or Poyer next season.   

 

I'm not really disappointed with the trade or the pick given the way the board was falling but just mildly concerned about next year.  As @NewEra said, we could have likely gotten Elam without the trade up.  If Elam was snagged then Booth was still there too.

 

Nobody wants to trade extra picks.  But we'll never know if they could have gotten him without the trade up.  The point is whether it's worth taking the chance or ensuring you get the guy you want?  And as I said above, I'm sure Beane had an idea somebody wanted him.

 

As for next year and beyond, I doubt a late 4th round pick will make or break the team.

[Jauronimo]

I think the big question with Elam is how does his game project to success as an NFL tight end or linebacker?  He has top end speed, so maybe he could replace Singletary.  I'll hang up now and listen.  Thanks.

[Bangarang]

2 minutes ago, Jauronimo said:

I think the big question with Elam is how does his game project to success as an NFL tight end or linebacker?  He has top end speed, so maybe he could replace Singletary.  I'll hang up now and listen.  Thanks.

Our o-line depth is still questionable. He could easily add 125lbs before the season starts if he’s really a team player.

Edited April 29, 2022 by Bangarang

[mjt328]

Solid pick.

 

Universally, he was considered a late 1st Round/early 2nd Round prospect.  The general consensus had him as the #5 CB this year.  The earliest I saw him ranked was the #18th ranked overall prospect (Pro Football Network).  The latest I saw was #47 (ESPN).  We got him right in that range, so it was decent value.  Not a homerun.  But nothing to complain about either.

 

In terms of "passing" on better CB prospects, I personally really liked Andrew Booth.  But as I mentioned in the draft threads earlier this week, lots of medical red flags have been popping up.  I wasn't really surprised to see Booth drop last night, and I wasn't really surprised to see us pass on him.  If his freefall continues Friday, you really have to wonder about the seriousness of his injury.

 

[Sierra Foothills]

24 minutes ago, FLFan said:

Epic fail on the negatives.

1. Edmunds type of player?  What does that even mean?  If it means 5 year starter, defensive signal caller, defensive captain, and multiple pro bowls, please sign me up.

2. Beane does not have a great track record?  Ed Oliver - starter and at times dominant.  5th yer option picked up and still improving.  White - pro bowler and elite CB1.  Edmunds- already covered.  Rousseau - 1st year starter.  OK then.

3. Beane scrambled?  What is the evidence of that.  He had a player targeted above others and got him.  We do not even know, and never will, if he wanted McDuffie.

4. Move ahead of 1 team?  Wrong.  If Baltimore was moving the pick, every other team was in play.  By the way, we do not know that Dallas did not want this player.  Their reaction at the draft table after the Bills trade and selection was announced indicated they may well have been targeting the same player.

 

People here are treating point #4 like it's quantum physics. It's really disturbing.

 

21 minutes ago, DrDawkinstein said:

I believe the prevailing thought was Tennessee was trying to jump us to get Elam, and partly evidenced by the fact that when we jumped Dallas and picked Elam, Titans immediately traded out of the round. So it wasnt just Dallas we were worried about.

 

20 minutes ago, Sweats said:

The Dallas war room looked awfully sombre.........i loved every minute of it.

 

The team that let Elam's Dad use Jerry Jones' private jet?

 

I'm not a highlight guy... here's the game between Alabama and Florida last season... Elam (#5) versus Jameson Williams (#1) and John Metchie (#8).

 

 

[DrDawkinstein]

22 minutes ago, Lost said:

 

My concern about trading mid round picks this year is not this season but the next 2-3.   The Bills seem semi determined to go all in this year with a lot of the moves and that's fine if we bring home a Lombardy.   But if 2022 isn't our year we have a lot of dead cap space creeping up on us the next few years and some key players we need to renegotiate next off season.

 

Good. That gives Beane something to do next offseason and earn his paycheck instead of golfing all Spring. I kid, but my point is, that can be addressed later with an entire offseason to work with.

[NewEra]

25 minutes ago, FLFan said:

Epic fail on the negatives.

 

1. Edmunds type of player?  What does that even mean?  If it means 5 year starter, defensive signal caller, defensive captain, and multiple pro bowls, please sign me up.

2. Beane does not have a great track record?  Ed Oliver - starter and at times dominant.  5th yer option picked up and still improving.  White - pro bowler and elite CB1.  Edmunds- already covered.  Rousseau - 1st year starter.  OK then.

3. Beane scrambled?  What is the evidence of that.  He had a player targeted above others and got him.  We do not even know, and never will, if he wanted McDuffie.

4. Move ahead of 1 team?  Wrong.  If Baltimore was moving the pick, every other team was in play.  By the way, we do not know that Dallas did not want this player.  Their reaction at the draft table after the Bills trade and selection was announced indicated they may well have been targeting the same player.

 

 

 

 

 

 

1-  traits.  Makes a lot of sense.

 

2-  he didn’t draft Tre’Davious 

 

3- someone traded up for a corner, then we traded up for a corner.  We had one 1st rd rated corner left on the board….so they traded up to secure him.  Scrambling could be a viable fit.  But you’re right, we’ll never know.  
 

4-  we have no clue what was said between Beane and Decosta.  We have no clue if what was said is true.  We’ll likely go to our graves not knowing if we got fleeced or not.   Decosta is shrewd and a master of trading down.  He does this every year and is a helluva GM….slash salesman.  We need to lock this trade up in the archives  asap

[HereComesTheReignAgain]

2 hours ago, simpleman said:

I was hoping for Hall with an early 2nd  round trade up, but Beane flinched, panicked, and made a goofy trade up in the 1st that wasted his trade ammo to be able to grab Hall in the early 2nd. Not upset with the player selection, or their potential in the 1st, just the knee jerk panicked move by Beane. 

You are upset that Beane traded up for a premier position like CB, because you wanted him to use it to trade up for one of the lowest valued positions in RB?  I really don't get this logic.  

[Rocky Landing]

It's remarkable that Brandon Beane had a first round grade on Kaiir Elam, but not Devin Lloyd, Jemaine Johnson, Daxton Hill, or Lewis Cine.

 

I have come to the conclusion that the sit-down interview, that presumable all teams have with draft prospects, is more important to Beane than maybe any other GM in the league. And as far as things like work ethic, coachability, culture fit, team-first attitude, and drive, Beane has never been wrong. 

 

Welcome Kaiir Elam!

[Ethan in Cleveland]

I think many myself included are making a bit too much about giving up a fourth round pick to move up 2 spots. 

The issue will be finding decent cheap depth players in the next few years. A fourth as many have said is not make or break. But he sure would be a lot less expensive than Siran Neal or an AJ Klein type player in the next few years. 

I have no issues with the player and had Beane waited and gotten him at 25 some would be calling him a genius for letting the draft come to him.

In the end for the immediate future Elam fills a massive need. 

On to day 2 and hopefully some help for Allen 

 

 

[KOKBILLS]

2 hours ago, Dr. K said:

WARNING!!!!

 

This is entirely too sane a response to the selection. You need to demand that Beene and McDermott get their heads out of their butts and listen to your devastatingly accurate strategy based on your deep understanding of how football teams are staffed and the extensive scouting you have done on all division I college players.

 

If you fail to set your hair on fire, you are endangering your status as a card-carrying Bills fan. 

 

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!

 

Thank you Doc...

[BillsVet]

21 minutes ago, gobills404 said:

They literally just spent a 1st, a 3rd, and a 4th on a CB and another 1st on a DE

 

Reid and Veach are secure in their off-season moves at WR and offense as a whole.  You can draft defense when offense is prioritized which aligns with current league trends. 

 

 

[Simon]

4 minutes ago, Rocky Landing said:

It's remarkable that Brandon Beane had a first round grade on Kaiir Elam, but not Devin Lloyd, Jemaine Johnson, Daxton Hill, or Lewis Cine.

 

They may have not valued those other guys simply because they were not interested in using a 1st rnd pick at LB, DE or S.

[MrEpsYtown]

1 hour ago, Warcodered said:

Not my favorite thing, it's generally pretty good to have that agent there as a buffer between you and the business side of negotiating with teams, harder to take things personally that way.

 

I agree. Some agents also makes sure that the guys get ubers and keep clean. But his dad and uncle have been there done that, so Elam gets to keep that 20% or whatever it us. 

[TheyCallMeAndy]

I think 32 would be an awesome jersey number for Elam 👍🏼