National Football League

Did the Buffalo Bills overpay for Charles Clay?

Published Mar. 19, 2015 11:24 p.m. ET

foxsports

By Erik Stewart

If there’s one position, outside of quarterback, that the Buffalo Bills haven’t gotten production out of in recent history, it's tight end. It’s not like they haven’t tried. The team has signed players like Robert Royal and Scott Chandler, drafted guys like Shawn Nelson and Derek Fine, but they’ve never gone after a big-time player at the position, until now.

The Buffalo Bills signed former Miami Dolphins tight end Charles Clay to a five-year contract worth $38 million, including $20 million guaranteed. Clay was given a transition tag by the Dolphins, meaning that they had the opportunity to match the Bills' offer, which they declined to do. Clay is coming off of two very strong seasons in Miami, proving himself to be productive both as a pass-catcher and as a blocker. There’s no doubt that the Bills needed a tight end, but, even though Clay is talented, the Bills vastly overpaid for him.

Clay was drafted by the Dolphins in the sixth round back in the 2011 NFL Draft, but didn’t become a full-time starter until his third season. He broke out in 2013, and during his two seasons as the Dolphins starting tight end, Clay reeled in 127 catches for 1,364 yards and nine touchdowns. Those are good numbers for sure, numbers that trump nearly every Bills tight end ever, but Clay is being paid elite money, despite not having elite numbers.

Clay’s contract will put him at an average of $7.6 million a season, which makes him the fourth highest-paid tight end in the league, behind only Rob Gronkowski, Julius Thomas, and Jimmy Graham. Clay has decent numbers, but his production isn’t in the same ballpark as these three.

Another question regarding the value of this signing is Clay’s fit in Greg Roman’s offense. The Bills are sure to be a run-heavy team, built around their new star running back LeSean McCoy. So, why would a team that plans on using a run heavy offense sign a tight end to such a large contract? Clay is a good run blocker, and has shown great improvement with it each season, but Clay’s main use is as a receiver, and this scheme may not allow him to live up to his contract.

His size and red zone usage could also be a problem. The Bills struggled mightily in the red zone last season, and a good tight end can sometimes make all the difference. But Clay is undersized for the position, standing at just 6’3″, not exactly the big red zone target the Bills need. He also has just 14 receiving touchdowns in four seasons, unable to prove he’s a viable option inside the 20.

It’s clear that the Bills are in win-now mode, and this signing makes it even more evident. The Bills got a very good player in Clay, and he’s only going to get better with time. Clay is by far the most talented tight end that the Bills have had in a very, very long time. But, unless Clay can turn into the league’s next superstar at tight end, it appears that the Bills may have paid elite money to a non-elite player.

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