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The Buffalo Bills could be headed for a shakeup in the secondary with one veteran cornerback losing his spot to a former undrafted rookie who spent much of last year on the practice squad.
Cornerback Rasul Douglas, one of the team’s top defensive backs, was hurt in last week’s loss to the Los Angeles Rams and could be in danger of missing this week’s game against the Detroit Lions. While former first-round pick Kaiir Elam has been behind Douglas on the depth chart, Syracuse.com writer Matt Parrino reported that the Bills could pass him over in favor of another player.
Bills Could Bench Kaiir Elam
Parrino suggested that the Bills are ready to turn to Ja’Marcus Ingram, a former undrafted rookie from the University of Buffalo who spent significant time on the practice squad in the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
“The Kaiir Elam story takes another turn as it appears Ja’Marcus Ingram has passed him on the depth chart,” Parrino wrote in a post on X. “The former first-round pick may not be the one who plays if Rasul Douglas can’t make it back from a knee injury.”
The Bills turned to Ingram in last Sunday’s game after Douglas was injured. He made three total tackles.
Though the Bills traded up in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft to land Elam, he has struggled to find a place on the team. He started six games in his rookie season before being replaced by another rookie, sixth-round pick Christian Benford. Elam has started just three total games over the last two seasons, appearing in 16% of the team’s defensive snaps this year.
Some insiders predicted that the Bills were ready to move on from Elam earlier this season. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell predicted that they would move on from Elam at the trade deadline, noting that he never seemed to gain the full confidence of the coaching staff.
“Despite injuries opening up opportunities for him in the depth chart, he never seemed to convince McDermott he deserved steady playing time,” Barnwell wrote. “Injuries hit Elam last season, and while back healthy, he has played just 23 defensive snaps in 2024.”
Bills Hoping to Rebound
The Bills are looking to move on from their worst defensive performance of the season against the Rams, giving up 37 total points on defense and another touchdown on a blocked punt returned for a touchdown.
The team will have another challenge this week, facing one of the league’s best offenses in the Detroit Lions. McDermott said he was confident the team could rebound and that the loss to the Rams was a one-week aberration.
“A lot of teams have scars on their way to having a darn good season. And we’re having a darn good season,” McDermott said, via The Associated Press.
“So what has to be in front of us this week is the opportunity that’s in front of us, quite frankly, to challenge [the Lions]. You better bring your heart, you better bring your guts, you better put it on the line.”
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Veteran Bills CB Falling Down Depth Chart Amid Struggles