The Pittsburgh Steelers' corners have not only been banged up, but they have also been underperforming, with yesterday's loss to the Jags being an omen to that sentiment.
The group lacks premier talent or top-end potential for that matter outside of Joey Porter Jr.
Well, one phone call can change that:
Two AFC East names worth watching at trade deadline: #Bills corner Kaiir Elam and #Patriots pass rusher Josh Uche. Both players have garnered trade interest, per sources.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) October 28, 2023
Elam, a former first-round pick, was inactive Thursday, while Uche is in the final year of his rookie deal. pic.twitter.com/Ew9wTlawiI
Elam was a first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, recently turned 22 years old, is 6-1, nearly 200 pounds, physical, and ran a 4.39 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine.
So you're probably asking, why would a player with such little experience and such high potential be on the trading block?
Elam has only played in three games this season despite being healthy in a secondary that has dealt with a plethora of injuries.
Having 35-year-old CB Josh Norman start over him on Thursday as Elam was inactive tells you all you need to know about what Buffalo thinks of Elam.
The truth is, it's not Elam's fault, it's Buffalo's. They drafted a Ferrari, built on speed power, and physicality and have asked him to be a daily driver, just sitting back and playing soft zone.
Now, Elam could certainly work on his hand usage, as he tends to get a little grabby, and sure up his tackling woes.
But it's absurd how soon people forget, especially when you consider Elam is largely the reason Buffalo won a playoff game they had no business of losing when playing Miami last year:
KAIIR ELAM WITH THE CLUTCH INTERCEPTION pic.twitter.com/Pj8rquWEaR
— PFF College (@PFF_College) January 15, 2023
So look, obviously, things haven't worked out in Buffalo. But if you're Pittsburgh, you aren't going to find the level of athlete, with the type of pedigree and potential that Elam has on day three of the draft, (the likely draft capital needed to acquire Elam) making this an obvious phone call in my opinion.
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