The NFL trade deadline is just three days away on Tuesday, Oct. 31, which means discussions are starting to pick up steam as teams face the last call to acquire new talent from other teams. Two names who have risen to the surface of trade conversations are a couple of early-round defensive players in the AFC East: Buffalo Bills cornerback Kaiir Elam (the 23rd overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft) and New England Patriots linebacker Josh Uche (a second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft), per ESPN.
Elam, in just his second NFL season, has fallen behind Christian Benford, a sixth-round pick in his draft class, and Dane Jackson, a seventh-round pick from the 2020 NFL Draft, for the chance to start at either of Buffalo's outside corner spots. On the inside, Taron Johnson, a fourth-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, and Siran Neal, a fifth-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, have those two spots secured.
This pecking order has led to Elam being inactive as a healthy scratch in four of the Bills' eight games this season, the first three of 2023 and their most recent contest, a 24-18 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on "Thursday Night Football," that kicked off Week 8. Elam has 14 tackles in three games, including two starts this season. He played in 13 games as a rookie, starting six of them, in which he totaled two interceptions, four passes defended and 41 tackles.
Uche is entering the final season of his rookie deal, and like Elam, is buried behind multiple players for reps at edge rusher and inside linebacker. He has totaled six tackles and two sacks this season in six games, including two starts. Uche had a a career-high 11.5 sacks and both of his two career forced fumbles in 2022, but outside of last season, the second-most sacks he has recorded in a season is three, which he did in 2021 across 12 games. Despite suiting up in 42 games for New England in four seasons, Uche has just three starts. He could be a nice rotational player for a team looking to add depth to their pass rush.
