Could Elam be packaged in a trade up?

[Billl]

Maybe if it’s the other team that’s trading up.

[Tipster19]

1 hour ago, Warriorspikes51 said:

Spencer has actual value IMO.  We did it with Cordy Glenn. Perhaps Spencer gets us from 28 to 13-16ish if we add a 2025 4th

 

Or he could be used in a package to NYG

Actually this draft is suppose to be heavy with OL so this makes a ton of sense. Nice point. I don’t think that if Beane were to trade up it would be just solely just draft pick(s). I could see a player or maybe even 2 used in trading up coupled with pick(s). Thanks for the input.

[Freddie's Dead]

No.  Bills ruined any trade value Elam had.

[QLBillsFan]

1 hour ago, uticaclub said:

He has little to no value at this point, better to keep him and see if he turns the corner for us.

That’s the play. He’s in his rookie contract and was talented enough to be a first round pick. New DB coach so it’s this year or bust. Only would make sense in a player trade for a player who also was drafted high and has struggled. Like WR Marshall from Carolina. But I’m for keeping him as trade value is so low. 

[MrEpsYtown]

Drafting a man press corner who struggles in zone in the first round to play in your zone heavy scheme is still one of the dumbest investments ever. The whole point of playing heavy zone principles is that you can get away with guys who are not blue chip prospects and athletes…guys you can get later in the draft. Benford 6th, Dane Jackson 7th, Levi Wallace UDFA, Rasul Douglas 3rd. Tre was a high draft pick but he was elite in zone. Richard Sherman, 5th…you can find these guys and they don’t have to run in the 4.4s. Josh Norman who was so good in Carolina, a great zone corner…5th round. This Elam thing still makes zero sense to this day. His value is likely almost nothing. Maybe they can get the Giants to do something like Elam and a 4th and a 5th for the Giants 3rd. 

[GASabresIUFan]

The Bills aren’t trading Elam.  They didn’t extended Douglas for a reason.  That reason, I believe, is that they want to see how Elam develops this season before writing him off.  If Elam develops, Elam steps in for Douglas in 2025, if not they can re-sign Douglas, draft a replacement or sign someone else.  
 

That said, don’t be surprised if they draft someone in the 4th rd as insurance. 

[Ayjent]

4 hours ago, Old Coot said:

The guy does well in straight man coverage but he screws up in zone and when he has to make adjustments.

 

Maybe he'll eventually learn but at this point he'd only have value to a team that plays straight man as a base D.

 

This is the NFL so I doubt there are any teams that do that.

 

He wasn't a first round pick. What mystifies me is why his shortcomings weren't apparent from film or scouting.  Any thoughts?

 

 

It was all there if you watched the games. He played well against a couple of good WRs and teams fell in love with what he could be instead of what he was.  Terrible tackler, inconsistent in coverage, capable of getting completely lost in scheme.  I thought he was being overvalued a lot in pre draft and was absolutely shocked when Bills took him. I watch all UF games and I wasn’t a fan of his game.  I had hope that maybe it was just Mullen’s terrible staff that was the issue and talked myself into the pick trusting Beane.  He played decent in yr 1 at times, but the chance he develops is slim at this point.  Maybe it was hubris with the Bills staff and FO.  There just isn’t much of a place for him other than outside CB and the Bills don’t trust him there. 

[GunnerBill]

Sure. If we want to move up from like #144 to #130.... early 5th to late 4th.... that equates to late 6th round value. You could offer Elam for that. 

[machine gun kelly]

6 hours ago, uticaclub said:

He has little to no value at this point, better to keep him and see if he turns the corner for us.

Agreed.  He’s better off with us and a new position coach.

[Matt_In_NH]

Just gonna point out the bills need depth at cb.  With White and Jackson gone it’s a position of need to a degree.    Elam could be traded but that would mean there are two openings for depth.   

[finn]

Elam is such a mystery. Prototypical physical build and talent/skills, along with an excellent work ethic (or so we heard when he was drafted), yet he can't get on the field. Is zone coverage and tackling really that hard to learn? What is going on there? 

 

Anyway, I say keep him just in case a new DB coach can help turn the light on for him. 

[Sweats]

Unfortunately, we're stuck with this boat anchor........nobody's going to want him, and his value is rock bottom.

 

I don't blame Elam, i blame our FO for trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.

[Coach Tuesday]

I think they’d rather give him one more chance under a new secondary coach.  

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

6 hours ago, Freddie's Dead said:

No.  Bills ruined any trade value Elam had.

Beane in disguise, subtly influencing the other 31 teams. 🤔

[DCofNC]

8 hours ago, CaptnCoke11 said:

Move up what 2 spots?

In the 4th

[Ethan in Cleveland]

His only value is with the Bills. 

It's still shocking that he had an ankle injury bad enough to warrant IR and the coaching staff didn't either know about it or just made him inactive. He was injured in preseason and never once on injury report - just made a game day inactive. 

[BarleyNY]

7 hours ago, Beck Water said:

I'm not Firebaugh Kid, but I thought he showed flashes when he played towards the end of 2022 season when Benford was injured.

 

So I don't think the "Fat Lady" has sung yet, but I don't think other GMs are gonna give much either.

 

I figured that was probably it. He did flash, but his issues showed up consistently too. It doesn’t make any sense to cut or trade him at this time because we’re paying him either way and there’s still a chance that things will click for him. It’s not likely, but it’s not like we have other CBs pushing him off the roster either. 

[Buffalo_Stampede]

I wonder about Spencer Brown as a possible trade piece. I wonder what he would be worth. 

[boyst]

8 hours ago, Victory Formation said:

Me too. I wonder if we could get a 3rd for him.

A 5th, maybe a 4th if we did something like him + 6th. 

[Ethan in Cleveland]

2 hours ago, Ayjent said:

It was all there if you watched the games. He played well against a couple of good WRs and teams fell in love with what he could be instead of what he was.  Terrible tackler, inconsistent in coverage, capable of getting completely lost in scheme.  I thought he was being overvalued a lot in pre draft and was absolutely shocked when Bills took him. I watch all UF games and I wasn’t a fan of his game.  I had hope that maybe it was just Mullen’s terrible staff that was the issue and talked myself into the pick trusting Beane.  He played decent in yr 1 at times, but the chance he develops is slim at this point.  Maybe it was hubris with the Bills staff and FO.  There just isn’t much of a place for him other than outside CB and the Bills don’t trust him there. 

Yet in limited time he has two playoff INTs - one in 2022 and one in 2023. Benford zero. Douglas zero. How can a guy who can make plays not be taught zone coverage?????