The Wandering Buffalo

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Buffalo Bills Training Camp Preview: Cornerback

Justin Goddard

Kaiir Elam - Buffalo Bills Cornerback

The Wandering Buffalo - Buffalo Bills Training Camp Preview: Cornerback

After the Bills drafted Tredavious White, I have been dreaming of pairing him up with another highly touted cornerback to really lock down receivers. I was delivered that dream of a highly drafted cornerback last year when the Bills drafted Kaiir Elam. His rookie year, however, did not go exactly how I envisioned it. Elam did not straight up win the job in camp, and when Dane Jackson went down with an injury, Elam was platooned in rotation with fellow rookie (sixth-round pick), Christian Benford.

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Training camp has not started yet, so a lot will change, but as of now, Elam has not been announced as the starting CB2 yet. On one hand it is nice to have such competent depth in the cornerback room, but on the other hand, it feels concerning that Elam has not fully locked down the job. The battle for CB2 right now looks to be a three-man race between Elam, Benford, and Dane Jackson. Jackson is a player that has stuck around on the roster because of the trust the coaching staff has in him to execute in their defense. Benford showed similar abilities in his stint as the CB2 last season.

Christian Benford - Buffalo Bills Cornerback

Creator: Denis Poroy | Credit: AP

My feeling and hope is that with another off-season under his belt, Elam is able to fully secure the CB2 job. With the infrastructure around him on that defense, I think it is a perfect time to let him come in, play loose, and have the pieces around him that can make up for any “rookie” mistakes. The defense features a revamped (again) defensive line, and one of the better secondaries in the league. I think that with Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde returning to the team, Elam has one of the best safety nets in the league to cover up mistakes that may be made. Across from him is Tre’Davious White, and we all know what kind of cornerback he can be in the league. The nickel role is manned by Taron Johnson, who has grown into one of the better nickel corners in the league and one of the sneaky most important players on the team. 

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With the physical upside that Elam has, there is a good chance that he can be a really explosive playmaker in this defense. Using his physical gifts to attack the ball and make plays may lead to some variance and bigger plays being given up, but with the defense assembled around him, I believe the reward highly outweighs the risk.

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