The New York Jets are looking to add some more talent in the middle of the 2025 season.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini shared on social media that veteran defensive back Kaiir Elam visited the Jets on Tuesday, November 25.
Elam, 24, entered the league as the No. 23 overall pick in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft. The former Florida product spent the first three seasons of his career with the rival Buffalo Bills.
In March of 2025, the Bills traded Elam and a 2025 sixth-rounder to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a 2025 fifth-rounder.
On Saturday, November 22, the Cowboys waived Elam. He cleared waivers and can now sign with any NFL team he chooses as an unrestricted free agent.
Elam Is Still Young With Plenty of Upside
The talented DB has appeared in 39 games and has made 19 starts. With those opportunities, Elam has collected two interceptions, seven pass deflections, one fumble recovery, three tackles for loss, and 110 total tackles.
Talent is clearly not the issue for Elam; he is a former first-round pick. However, he hasn’t been able to find his footing in the league. Whoever he signs with next will be his third team this calendar year.
If anyone can maximize his talents, it might be the Jets.
General manager Darren Mougey has developed a reputation for adding injured birds to the roster and transforming them into viable players. Players who are talented but are seen as less than.
NFL Insider Connor Hughes of SNY posted on social media, “These pick-swap player adds are turning into a Mougey Masterclass. Jarvis Brownlee, now John Metchie.”
Perhaps Elam could be next.
Interesting Jets Backstory With Kaiir
Kaiir’s father is Abram Elam. Abram played in the NFL for eight years. Two of those seasons were spent with the Jets in 2007-08.
During that run in green and white, Elam appeared in 29 games and made 17 starts. He registered one interception, five pass deflections, three forced fumbles, two sacks, two quarterback hits, five tackles for loss, and 122 tackles — that was just with the Jets.
That was highlighted by a 92-yard pick-six to the house when the Jets played the Bills in 2008 — the only pick-six of Abram’s NFL career.
Abram was also involved in one of the seismic trades in Jets franchise history. During the 2009 NFL draft, the Jets traded up from the No. 17 overall pick to the No. 5 overall pick to select quarterback Mark Sanchez.
Normally, when you trade up 12 spots into the top five of the draft, it costs you multiple first-round picks. The Jets only gave up their own first-round pick in 2009 as a swap. Why?
Eric Mangini, who was fired by the Jets on December 29, 2008, was hired days later to be the next head coach of the Cleveland Browns.
The Jets and Browns were able to hammer out a trade that sent Mangini several of his old players from the green and white roster.
“Jets trade 1st-round pick (17th overall) and 2nd-round pick (52nd), DE Kenyon Coleman, S Abram Elam, and QB Brett Ratliff for Browns’ 1st-round pick (5th overall), with which the Jets selected QB Mark Sanchez,” the Jets posted on their website.
Kaiir Has the Right Guy in His Corner
The young defensive back’s mentor is Bill Parcells — the same mentor of current Jets head coach and former defensive back Aaron Glenn.
After Kaiir was drafted by the Bills, ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg wrote about their relationship.
“The Elam family is based in Riviera Beach, Florida, and lives about 30 minutes from the Hall of Fame coach. Parcells watched Kaiir’s games with the Florida Gators and gave him notes afterward. What does Parcells like about Kaiir’s game? The former coach pointed to his length (6-foot-1, 30 and 7/8-inch arms), ability to run well, and game-preparation skills. Those, Parcells said, come from his dad,” Getzenberg revealed in a column posted back in May of 2022.
Kaiir’s father, Abram, initially entered the league as an undrafted free agent. One of the first stops of his career was with Parcells’ Cowboys in 2006. He ended up serving in a second stint in Dallas in 2011.
“He’s remained close friends with Parcells and the pair talk almost every day. Abram now works to help other players be successful on and off the field by consulting through The Elam Model, which extends to Kaiir, using his family and others to support him instead of a traditional agent,” Getzenberg explained.
Jets Eyeing Ex-Bills 1st Rounder, Son of Former NYJ Player