Getty Jaylon Johnson of the Chicago Bears.
The Buffalo Bills had big aspirations for cornerback Kaiir Elam when they traded up in the first round of the 2022 draft to land him, but the expectations have fallen short so far as Elam found himself a healthy scratch for most of the 2023 season.
Now, an insider predicts that the Bills could ship Elam at the upcoming trade deadline in exchange for a top Chicago Bears cornerback on an expiring contract. Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports suggested that the Bills could target Jaylon Johnson to boost their injury-plagued secondary and give Elam a fresh start.
Bills Land ‘Top Asset’
Benjamin noted that it would not be cheap for the Bills to land Johnson, who is on the final year of his rookie contract. He suggested that a trade would not only cost Elam, but also a 2024 second-round pick, but would give the Bills a chance to sign Johnson to a long-term deal.
“Elam was drafted No. 22 overall just a year ago, but he’s struggled to acclimate himself in Sean McDermott’s secondary, and with Tre’Davious White injured, Buffalo could use a proven cover man for its expected playoff run,” Benjamin wrote. “Johnson is one of the Bears’ top assets, but he might be able to strike a lucrative long-term deal with an actual contender in this scenario.”
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The proposed trade could help address a sudden area of need for the Bills, as White was lost to a season-ending Achilles tear. The Bills took some initial steps to add depth, calling practice squad cornerback Ja’Marcus Ingram and signing veteran Josh Norman to the practice squad, but Johnson could become a long-term piece of their defense if they were able to land him and sign an extension.
Jaylon Johnson Wants to Stay in Chicago
Johnson caused a stir when he sat out of the Bears’ voluntary offseason activities, though he insisted it was not related to a contract but rather a desire to spend more time with his 3-year-old daughter.
“Anybody who knows me, that’s not my character,” Johnson said at the time, via The Associated Press. “I think at the end of the day, for me, I wouldn’t even say holding out, just having prior priorities.”
Johnson said that he had a desire to come back to the Bears on a new deal, but knew that the ball was in their court with regard to timing.
“I think the Bears know the timing of when we really want to get into the nitty gritty of the contract talks and things like that,” he said. “Just being patient and continue to do what I can to get better, and when that time comes, it comes.”
With the Bears standing at 1-5, the team could look to sell at the upcoming trade deadline and may view Johnson as a valuable trade asset. Though the Bills have avoided big trades in recent years, they could look to shore up a defense that has been hit hard by injuries in recent weeks. In addition to White’s season ending injury, the Bills also placed linebacker Matt Milano and defensive tackle DaQuan Jones on injured reserve.