Back in March, with All-Pro cornerback Trevon Diggs early in the process of an offseason knee rehab stint, the Cowboys traded for former first-round draft pick Kaiir Elam as an insurance policy of sorts.
Now, as several of the team’s younger reinforcements start to take on an increased role, Elam has been rendered expendable. The fourth-year veteran was waived by Dallas on Saturday.
The Cowboys signed running back Malik Davis from the practice squad to the active roster to fill Elam’s spot.
The 23rd overall pick in 2022 out of Florida, Elam spent his first three seasons with Buffalo before being traded. The Cowboys gave up a fifth-round selection in 2025’s draft and a seventh-rounder in 2026. (Dallas also received a sixth-round pick in 2025, which they used on offensive lineman Ajani Cornelius.)
Diggs was able to return to action for Week 1, but by then, DaRon Bland was also dealing with a foot injury. As a result, Elam saw heavy usage early in the season, playing on every defensive snap over the Cowboys’ first three contests.
Over the past three games, though, Elam’s snap count has plummeted, from 95.2% in the Week 8 loss at Denver to 61.2% in Arizona to just three snaps on special teams only versus Las Vegas.
The Cowboys welcomed second-year corner Caelen Carson back to the lineup on Monday and saw him take 100% of the defense’s snaps. In addition, third-round rookie Shavon Revel Jr. also made his NFL debut and showed promise in his 19 plays.
Elam is currently fourth on the Cowboys defense in snaps and seventh on the team in tackles, with 29. Per Spotrac, he has $1 million fully guaranteed remaining on his Cowboys contract. He’ll now hit the waiver wire, where other teams may place a claim on him.
Davis, an undrafted free agent out of Florida, has bounced between the practice squad and active roster since 2022. He’s totaled 187 yards and a touchdown on 45 carries in 19 game appearances since then, including 20 yards on 4 attempts on Monday versus the Raiders.
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