FRISCO - The Dallas Cowboys underwent a great deal of change this offseason.
After hiring a completely new coaching staff, the Cowboys front office worked numerous free agency deals and four trades to tighten up gaps in the roster following a disappointing 7-10 season.
One of those trades was to acquire cornerback Kaiir Elam, who the Buffalo Bills gave up in exchange for low-value draft picks.
Elam joins a new team for the first time in his career, but the Cowboys, in a way, already feel like home.
Kaiir's father Abram Elam earned a roster spot with the Cowboys in 2006 after going undrafted. He didn't get much action as a rookie and bounced around the league for a few seasons before returning to Dallas in 2011.
Abram, a safety, started all 16 games in the secondary that season, as Kaiir - 10 years old at the time - watched his dad make an impact for "America's Team" with 68 tackles.
"Kind of just a surreal moment," Kaiir said once he heard he was joining his father's old team. "A full-circle moment."
And that circle now figures to put the younger Elam in the starting lineup here, per two of the most veteran Cowboys beat writers.
ESPN recently went team-by-team to pinpoint the biggest offseason workout "surprise.''
For the Cowboys, that guy is Elam.
Wrote Todd Archer: "He flashed on numerous occasions in the OTAs and minicamp. He had multiple interceptions and dropped two more. He also showed the ability to run with receivers. Maybe things change when the pads come on in training camp, but given the uncertainty the Cowboys have at cornerback with Trevon Diggs and third-round pick Shavon Revel Jr. working back from knee surgeries, they need Elam to be a factor."
Our Mike Fisher goes a step beyond that, writing, "While Kaiir struggled finding a solid role with Buffalo after being a first-round pick who didn't expectations as a young player, that pedigree is undeniable. And so was his work in minicamp.
"I think they brought him here to be a starter. And so far, he's lived up to that.''
Elam clearly thinks he got a raw deal in Buffalo, claiming, "I was always put in the backseat. ... I don't need a red carpet or anything like that. I just want to be able to earn it with a fair opportunity. ...
"I'm confident because I'm coming into a staff that truly really believes in me,'' he said. "I don't think they would've made the move if they didn't want to see the best for me."
