The Buffalo Bills had one of the most robust rebuilds of a position group in the NFL this season.
Between Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis’ exits, the Bills have an unknown future at the position this season. That said, one Bills beat Writer claims a hint may have presented itself at OTAs.
Chase Claypool, the one-time would-be successor to Antonio Brown of the Pittsburgh Steelers, has caught the attention of Matt Parrino, according to The Cold Wire and Dov Kleiman on Twitter/X.
“Claypool has been the Bills’ most consistent receiver during OTAs and is setting the stage for what should be a run at the 53-man roster,” Parrino said.
If true, this sets up for a potential redemption arc that few saw coming.
The wide receiver started with massive expectations with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was originally drafted by the Steelers in the second round.
Buffalo Bills WR Chase Claypool receives first spark since 2021
After his 873-yard rookie season, analysts projected a bright future for the wide receiver. However, he leveled off in his second year, earning just 860 yards.
In 2022, the wide receiver’s career took a left turn, beginning a series of moves around the league.
During the 2022 season, Claypool was traded to the Chicago Bears. It seemed that Claypool’s prospects were still at least somewhat unknown, but the trade ended up being a half-season experiment.
In 2023, Claypool was again traded during the season, landing with the Miami Dolphins. He earned just 26 yards with the team. Now, heading into OTAs, Claypool is seen as an underdog. However, it appears there is still some fight left in him.
The problem with Claypool was seldom his talent level. Rather, after the explosive start that proved he can dominate in spurts, it was trouble with his temperament. Several different instances over the years have led to fans turning against the receiver and once his impact took a hit, teams were quick to move on.
However, with the Buffalo Bills in clear need of a quick wide receiver boost to mask the loss of Diggs and Davis, Claypool appears to have made the spark. At this point, it’s clear there is a spark, but will there be a fire?
The Bills have a much different roster at wide receiver this season. Between rookie Keon Coleman, Curtis Samuel, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Chase Claypool, it remains anyone’s guess about who will be WR1 in 2024.
As of now, it seems Chase Claypool can be inserted into the list of contenders.
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