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When the smoke cleared in the Charles Clay “will he or won’t he” transition tag sweepstakes the Bills had themselves a legit tight end. After a year in which he was the third in yardage, second in receptions and ending with him on the bench injured, questions may begin to be asked about his contract. However, I’d ask more of his supporting cast, which did little to flesh out the position beyond the big-ticket signee.
Key Stats
Charles Clay had the lion’s share of the stats, amassing 528 yards and 3 touchdowns with 51 receptions. Chris Gragg chipped in with 12 receptions, 140 yards and his presence on special teams. As the season progressed, the combination of Clay and Gray (1 catch, 2 yards) made ex-Jet and penalty attractant Matthew Mulligan, he of 1 catch for 2 yards (decoy TE of the year) to be shown the door. In stepped draftee/practice squad player Nick O’Leary (1 catch, 37 yards) , whose grandfather is quite famous if you “do your googles”.
Re-check that. Outside of Clay’s 51 receptions, the Bills got 15 catches out of the rest of their tight ends, with a generous throw in of 1 catch for 12 yards out of Jerome Felton who roamed from a true fullback position to a wing in the Roman offense. That’s not good and has to change in 2016.
Possible FA Fits
Because of the cap money already allocated via Clay’s signing and the overall cap “snug”-ness, here are a few affordable pieces to compliment the roster:
Jermaine Gresham, Arizona – Gresham has been in an out of the Arizona lineup due to dings here and there since his signing in the desert. He was a late add to their roster due to entering FA injured, so he should be again looking at a “prove it” deal that would be team friendly.
Clay Harbor, Jacksonville – Injured late in Jacksonville, Harbor is a decent blocking tight end option that shouldn’t break the bank. If the Bills are looking to find a true option outside of the draft for an on the line Y that can block, you can’t fight getting a player like Harbor on the cheap.
Final Thoughts
In 2015 the Bills received a moderate return on their investment – and in 2016 they’re going to need more, or questions about Clay in particular and the position on a whole will start to become louder.
Up Next: The Offensive Line
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