FRISCO — The post-practice cooldown period had ended on Wednesday for most of the Cowboys players. Some had already changed for meetings. Many others had gathered around the ping pong table inside the locker room to watch Micah Parsons take on rookie defensive lineman Jay Toia, including head coach Brian Schottenheimer.
Over in the far end of the locker room sat new Cowboys corner Kaiir Elam. His cooldown was still ongoing, as the beads of sweat on his forehead indicated.
It was also evidence of another factor with Elam since he arrived.
So far, the former Buffalo Bills first round pick has been the model of consistency with the Cowboys. The Cowboys’ starting secondary has showcased multiple iterations through organized team activities and the first two days of minicamp. DaRon Bland has moved between slot and outside corner. So has Isreal Mukuamu. Andrew Booth and Kemon Hall have also played with the starters while the Cowboys await the return of Trevon Diggs and rookie Shavon Revel Jr. from injury.
Elam hasn’t missed one snap with the starting unit. He’s also had at least one pass breakup in either 7-on-7 or full team drills in each of the five practices so far, including near interceptions the last two practices. The stat is impressive, considering the fact that the Cowboys defensive backs have mostly been told to pull off, according to Schottenheimer.
Elam’s consistency has gone beyond the on-field product, too.
“We keep track of our players’ speeds each week to see who’s hitting top speeds. The one thing I’m most proud about is the way our guys run pre-snap and more post-snap, the way they run and cover. [Elam] been consistently at the top of the skill guys on defense with his top speeds. He’s really taking to the system … He’s in a good spot.”
That relentless effort is why Elam probably needed a little bit longer to cool down. It’s also a reminder of the good spot he’s in with the Cowboys currently. Conversely, the Cowboys have given him a chance to be in the right spot — probably for the first time in his career.
The Bills traded up two spots and selected Elam with the 23rd pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. The combination of his family pedigree — his dad, Abram, and his uncle, Matt, were both NFL players — and his physical traits made for an intriguing prospect.
Elam was eager to learn and develop. He was seen diving into the Bills playbook on the flight for his introductory press conference. Opportunities to play, however, were inconsistent. Last season, for example, he played in 16 coverage snaps through the first seven games. He played significantly near the end of the season, including in the playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, where he entered after Christian Benford suffered a head injury that kept him out the rest of the game.
In total, Elam was targeted in coverage 27 times last season, according to Pro Football Focus. He allowed 21 receptions for 266 yards and a touchdown.
The inconsistent playing time over the course of three seasons made it hard for Elam to be the consistent player he wanted to be.
“Coming in, I had high expectations for myself,” he told DLLS on Wednesday. “I’m coming in as a first round pick. That’s cool and all, but I wanted to work and I wanted to be a dominant player. Early off, not getting an opportunity and only playing when guys got hurt, that was a tough pill for me to swallow. And upstairs, they communicated that with me. They told me to stay ready and be ready for my opportunity.”
The opportunities didn’t come often in Buffalo, so the Bills traded him somewhere he could have an opportunity. The Cowboys swapped a fifth round pick for a sixth round pick in this past draft. They also traded a seventh round pick to the Bills for Elam.
The early end to a first round pick’s tenure with that team can be due to a variety of reasons. The Bills had a unique one for Elam’s situation.
Bills general manager Brandon Beane, essentially, took ownership for it.
“Ultimately, it’s on me,” Beane told reporters after the trade. “I made the selection that didn’t work out and I own that. You don’t want those to happen but man, I’m rooting for Kaiir, I really am.
“In the conversations I had with teams, I really told them like you would be getting a great young man and, I mean, the guy worked so hard. I’m pulling for him. I think everyone at One Bills Drive hopes it works out for him.”
The chance at a fresh start was refreshing for Elam.
“When I got the call to come here I was just blessed and super grateful,” Elam said. “When [the Cowboys] told me I would have a fair chance and a clean cut chance to go out and show what I could do, that’s something that almost damn near brought tears to my eyes. I was just so happy and that’s something I would never take for granted.”
So far, Elam has made the most of it. Shortly after the trade he told reporters that he didn’t need a red carpet upon his arrival in Dallas. He just needed a consistent chance to show he could play. Now, with one year left on his contract, he’s trying to show he can consistently make the most of those chances — whether it’s by running to the ball or by making plays on it.
“I just want to be a consistent dog every day,” Elam said. “My coaches, when they talk about me and about my performance on the field, or my performance in the weight room, or my performance in my ability to catch onto the plays fast, I just want them to say Kaiir is super consistent and he gave it all he could every single time and I’ll be happy with that.”
Elam said he has bigger aspirations, too. He wants to be an All-Pro type player one day. He also understands the way to do that is rooted in being a consistent player. And taking the next step, too.
In the last two practices, Elam not only had pass breakups, but he also had significant chances to turn those into interceptions.
“Taking the ball away, that’s the next step,” Elam said.
If he keeps up this consistency, more opportunities should come.
