In his first offseason as a member of the Buffalo Bills, wide receiver Chase Claypool has been a pleasant surprise out on the practice field.
Syracuse.com's Matt Parrino recently shared the following about how Claypool has looked during some of Buffalo's recent OTA practices.
"[Chase] 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. He made the most explosive play of the day, catching a deep bomb from backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky during 11-on-11. Once he gets past his defender, it’s hard for the safeties to catch up and rookie Cole Bishop learned that lesson on the play, which would have gone for a touchdown in a game," Parrino wrote.
The Bills signed Claypool a little over a month ago as part of their attempt to rebuild their wide receiver room after the departures of Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis earlier this year.
It's been rough for Claypool during his last two NFL seasons, as he's only managed to accumulate a total of 54 catches, including just eight in 2023. So far in Buffalo, however, it sounds like he might have a chance to get his career back on track next season if things continue to go how they have during the team's spring practices.
Claypool's career in the NFL looked very promising after his first year in the league with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was selected in the second round of the 2020 draft by the Steelers, and during his first season with the franchise, he finished with 62 catches for 873 yards and nine touchdowns.
He had a solid second year in Pittsburgh as well, catching 59 passes for 860 yards and two scores. But after the Steelers decided to trade Claypool midway through the 2022 season to the Chicago Bears, his career hasn't been the same.
Since entering the NFL in 2020, he has racked up a career total of 175 receptions in stints with the Steelers, Bears and Miami Dolphins. Of these 175 receptions, 87 percent of them happened when Claypool was wearing a Pittsburgh uniform.
If he can figure out how to get his production back to a level that is similar to how it was when he was with the Steelers, then the Bills will likely be pleased. If not, then Claypool's time in the NFL is going to come to an end much sooner than he anticipated when he entered the league as a second-round draft pick.
