Buffalo Bills Top 20 Talents in 2018: No. 15 - TE Charles Clay

At the end of the July, the Buffalo Bills will embark upon something they haven’t gone for in quite some time — as they’ll attempt to make it to the playoffs for the second consecutive season. With head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane at the helm, the team is almost completely different than what it was two years ago.

As the Bills maneuver through the offseason workouts, 7ABC will take a look at the team on the field — and more specifically, the top talent that exists on the roster that can help the Bills get back to the postseason. You’ll be introduced to the Bills’ ‘Top 20 Talents’ for the upcoming season in 2018

It's a bit of a different 'most talented' list because it also takes other factors into consideration. The countdown criteria:

• Overall skill-level
• On-the-field performance
• Projection based on film study over the past several years
• Age, and improving/declining ability

With that written, on to the countdown:

No. 15 - TE Charles Clay

Age: 29 (DOB: 2/213/1989)

Height: 6’3”

Weight: 255

Why he’s here:
- Now a mainstay of the Bills roster, Charles Clay has gotten through the egregious years of his contract and now is in the realm where his deal starts to make a bit more sense. Over the course of his three seasons in Buffalo, he hasn’t been a game breaker by any means, but he also hasn’t played in a particularly prolific passing attack, either. Clay has done well to work with the targets he has received and seemed poised for a substantial role in 2017 before injuring his knee early into the season in Cincinnati. Nearing the age of 30 the possibility exists over the next year or two that Clay could see a drop-off in part of what gives him an edge — his athleticism, and his rather long injury list could have something to do with that, too.

2018 outlook
- At some point in the 2018 season, you’d have to believe that the Bills will give the first-round quarterback Josh Allen an opportunity to learn on the job. When that happens, the potential for Clay’s season upgrades dramatically. Allen is a quarterback that will take more chances to get the ball to his targets, and with how often we’ve seen Clay working well over the middle of the defense, that could stand to be a solid combination whenever the two players are on the field. And with no real push from a young backup at tight end, Clay will continue with the starting role in 2018 barring any injuries.

Twitter: @JoeBuscaglia