Close Article Return to stream X
NFL

Buffalo Bills 2015 Training Camp Profile: TE Charles Clay

+Read full article
Charles Clay Buffalo Bills Tight End

Brad Barr – USA TODAY Sports

Scott Chandler was the Buffalo Bills’ starter at tight end from 2011-2014. Chandler was a solid but unspectacular player that used his elite size (6-foot-7) in order to develop into a decent intermediate target. Still, Chandler was not really a versatile playmaker, and the Bills were looking to find one in free agency, and they may have done that by adding Charles Clay.

Clay is a great tight end who was highly successful with the Miami Dolphins. Ryan Tannehill loved throwing to Clay, who was able to find open space easily thanks to his combination of speed and decent size (6-foot-3). Clay was able to serve as an H-Back, and he was pretty good at coming out of the backfield to catch passes. He also was able to work as a goal line fullback. Clay’s versatility is a major weapon, and that is one of the reasons that he has been able to find success in the NFL. His versatility will greatly aid the Bills, as he will be able to succeed anywhere in the intermediate game, which will be helpful to the team’s quarterbacks, who struggle with downfield throws.

One of the issues with Clay is that he has some injury concerns. Clay has been banged up at times over the last couple of seasons, and that has caused his on-field performance to suffer as a result. However, Clay still elected to play through some of the injuries, and that could end up being a problem. The nagging injuries could take a toll on Clay if he continues to play through them, and he may be better off sitting out until he’s fully healthy.

Clay reportedly has looked good in OTAs this offseason for the Bills. He is fitting into their offense very well, and he really is giving them the intermediate weapon that they have been lacking. If Clay can continue to perform well and parlay his good practices into success on the field, then he will be well worth the five-year, $38 million deal the Bills signed him to this offseason.

Clay really doesn’t come with too much baggage. He is going to be a solid offensive weapon for the Bills, and the only concern is that he has had trouble staying fully healthy in the past. Still, Clay projects to be a great player for the Bills, and Rex Ryan will figure out how to maximize his potential with the team’s new-look offense.

Jacob Camenker is a Buffalo Bills Beat Writer for www.RantSports.com. You can like him on Facebook here, follow him on Twitter @jacobyhorse, or add him to your network on Google.

Your Favorites