Kansas City Chiefs GM Brett Veach’s latest roster move continues trend of targeting a specific type of low-risk, high-reward free agent
The Kansas City Chiefs just signed a former first-round pick that they are hoping they can tap into similarly to the way they did with Kristian Fulton last season.
The Kansas City Chiefs excel at the “game inside the game,” especially when it comes to developing and finding inexpensive talent at the cornerback position. Since 2017, when they gave Eric Berry a second contract, they haven’t offered one to any DB they’ve drafted.
Kansas City does this because they are so confident, year after year, in their ability to keep that position group cheap while also playing at a high level. There aren’t many teams, if any, that are better at doing that than the Chiefs. They did it last year, too, but in a special way. Brett Veach took a former top-100 pick in Kristian Fulton, who was somewhat cast off as a guy who wasn’t necessarily viewed as valuable as where he was drafted six years ago. He gave him a two-year, $20 million deal, and Fulton looks to be a guy they can rely heavily on in 2026.
They are doing this again, but at a lower cost. According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the Chiefs are signing former first-round Buffalo Bills pick Kaiir Elam to a one-year deal. Contract details aren’t out yet at this writing. Since this is Elam’s fourth team in five years, it’s likely a very cheap deal.
This is a low-risk, high-reward deal that also adds needed depth. In 2025, Elam allowed 22 receptions on 42 targets for 343 yards and three touchdowns, per Sports Info Solutions. These numbers are not great. Still, that does not mean he can’t improve in Kansas City.
To get a better feel for how Elam has been this offseason, I talked with A to Z’s Rob Gregson, who appears to be close to the situation.
Elam has been working hard to find a home in the NFL
Kaiir Elam came into the league as a highly touted prospect for the Buffalo Bills. He was a long and physical man corner who went to a zone scheme that simply didn’t play to his strengths. Now, one could argue that Elam didn’t adapt well, and that carried over to his stops in Dallas and even Tennessee.
But Kansas City is truly a fresh start for Elam. He has never been with a defensive mind like Steve Spagnuolo. I believe that Elam finally has a defensive mind that will play to his strengths. He needs to be allowed to matchup hunt, where he can use his press-man technique, brawn, and long speed to make a difference.
Sources tell A to Z Sports that Elam had a decent market and chose to sign with the best opportunity. He’s been training every day in South Florida and is motivated. I believe he just found a new home with the Kansas City Chiefs.
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