When the Dallas Cowboys made a trade for Trey Lance in 2023, they put themselves in an interesting situation. The Cowboys brought in the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft to be the backup to Dak Prescott, but his contract came with an interesting caveat.
As a first-round pick, Lance’s contract had a fifth-year option his current team could exercise or decline. That gave Lance a chance to force his way into the Cowboys' plans or facilitate a trade to another team, but he never saw the field that season, prompting Dallas to decline the option in 2024.
Lance is a free agent and unlikely to return to Dallas. But the Cowboys put themselves in a similar situation with the acquisition of another first-round pick that will hope to revive his career in a new city.
Cowboys Face Interesting Contract Decision With New Cornerback Kaiir Elam
The Cowboys added to their secondary by acquiring Kaiir Elam from the Buffalo Bills on Wednesday afternoon. Elam was the 23rd overall pick in the 2022 draft but never seemed to find his way with the Bills, grabbing two interceptions and six pass deflections during his three seasons in Buffalo.
With Dallas neglecting free agency, Elam is a low-risk, high-reward acquisition in exchange for a fifth- and seventh-round pick in the 2025 draft. But he also comes with the same contract dilemma that Lance had, with a decision due on his fifth-year option by May 1. Activating Elam’s option would lock him in for $12.6 million for the 2026 season but if the Cowboys decline, Elam would become a free agent at the end of the upcoming season.
Elam’s playing time was inconsistent in Buffalo but put up decent grades according to Pro Football Focus including a 64.6 overall grade in his rookie season, a 65.7 grade in his second season and a 64.5 grade last season.
While Elam allowed a 120.1 passer rating on 27 targets last season, he may be a better fit for new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus’s defense, which uses an aggressive style that could help Elam use his ball-hawking traits which helped him grab six interceptions in his three seasons at Florida.
If Elam plays well enough to validate his option for 2026, the Cowboys will have a good problem on their hands. But the Cowboys also have to ask how likely that is to happen and if they can sign Elam to a team-friendly extension that locks him into a lower salary for the option year.
Unlike Lance, the Cowboys will have to make this decision blindly. But it had to be considered when they pulled the trigger on the trade that sent Elam to Dallas.