Once-promising Bills WR ‘must prove himself’ at 2024 NFL training camp

Chase Claypool’s professional football career has traveled a path that many thought unfathomable at this time three years ago.

The wide receiver, at the time, was considered one of the best young pass catchers in football, an imposing presence coming off a standout 2020 campaign with the Pittsburgh Steelers in which he totaled 889 yards scrimmage and 11 in total. affected. The stage for a breakout year two — and a consolidation among the ranks of the NFL’s most productive wide receivers — was set.

He did not answer the call.

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Although his total scrimmage yards increased from 889 to 956, his scoring regressed above average and into “extremely disappointing” territory, going from 11 total touchdowns to just two. His lack of progression on the field was complemented by concerns with character and effort off the field, prompting many to quickly complain about the player who was once considered an integral part of Pittsburgh’s future .

Additional concerns — and the emergence of rookie wide receiver George Pickens — made Claypool an expendable asset as the 2022 season progressed, with the Steelers selling him to the Chicago Bears at that season’s trade deadline. The questions persisted as his impact on the field diminished, with Chicago’s offense not benefiting at all from his presence. The team ultimately traded him to the Miami Dolphins midway through the 2023 campaign, where he again made little impact.

It was more than a disgrace for Claypool: it was a sudden fall. He’s caught just 54 passes for 528 yards over the past two years, a total he initially usurped through the first 10 games of his professional career. He’s coming off a season in which he caught just eight passes on 21 targets.

Claypool — now part of a revamped Buffalo Bills receiving corps that moved on from Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis in the offseason — needs a strong spring and summer in order to not only make the roster, but also to maintain a place in the NFL. Bleacher Report shares this sentiment; In a recent article examining several disappointing NFL players who “need to prove themselves” in training camp, analyst Alex Ballentine brought up Claypool, writing that he will need to stand out among a crowded receiving corps in order to earn a spot on Buffalo’s team. list.

“Chase Claypool is in desperate need of a career resurgence,” Ballentine wrote. “The Buffalo Bills desperately need some young receivers to fill critical roles in their offense. It’s at training camp that we’ll see if the two sides can help each other.

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“At 6’4″, 238 pounds, he is a huge target with the potential to at least be a weapon in the red zone, but he must first prove he can play with his teammates and staff coaches. The wide receiver competition in Buffalo could be his last chance to do so. There is a clear path to a role in an exciting Bills offense, but there are other options who will look to carve out the same role.

Some of the “other options” Ballentine alludes to include Tyrell Shavers, Justin Shorter and KJ Hamler, who are among the wideouts Claypool competes with at the bottom of the depth chart. Shavers and Shorter, two sophomores who spent their rookie years on Buffalo’s practice squad and injured reserve list, respectively, are also big-bodied threats who offer a bit more upside on special teams than the former Notre Dame wide receiver. Although stylistically very different from Claypool, Hamler is also a reclamation project; Selected three picks ahead of Claypool in the 2020 NFL Draft, the former Penn State Nittany Lion has been plagued by various injuries throughout his career.

Claypool, however, may have a leg up on his competition thanks to what would have been a strong first impression during voluntary team activities organized by the team. If he can build on that start with an impressive minicamp, the stage could be set for a real run not only on the team, but also in a significant offensive role, come training camp.