Charles Clay

Miami Dolphins tight end Charles Clay (42) warms up on the field before an NFL football game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2014, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

(Steven Senne)

Orchard Park, N.Y. — It didn't take Charles Clay long to realize he wanted to be a Buffalo Bill.

The tight end who received a contract with $24.5 million in guaranteed money from the Bills last week knew he wanted to be in Buffalo when he boarded Terry and Kim Pegula's private plane down in Florida to head to Western New York. After a plane ride with Bills coach Rex Ryan and offensive coordinator Greg Roman, there was little doubt in his mind.

"It goes to show how much they actually value me," Clay said. "... I felt like I was one of those guys from the very second I stepped on the plane. Just getting the chance to meet and talk with the Pegulas, such down to earth people.

"Just getting the chance to meet with them and fly up with Rex and with Greg Roman and Tony Sparano Jr., I was very impressed. They had me excited before I even got to Buffalo. I was ready to sign before I even got here. I was very excited."

Clay couldn't sign right away, though. The Dolphins had placed the transition tag on him, so he had to wait to sign an offer sheet with the Bills and see if the Dolphins would match the offer. Clay admitted the waiting game was a bit frustrating, but in his mind it was worth it. He's played against Ryan's defenses before and knows how well regarded he is by his players. He's dealt with Bills fans as an opposing player at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Most importantly, Clay saw a team ready to compete.

"When you look at the organization as a whole, new owners, new coaching staff, a lot of the moves they made this offseason, I was kind of intrigued by it before I even took my visit," Clay said. "I could kind of get a sense that they were a team that they were on the rise, you know they were a team that was looking to win right away. That's definitely something I was excited to have an opportunity to be a part of."

The money certainly helped as well. Clay received more guaranteed money in his contract than any tight end in the NFL. The average salary on his contract is also the fourth highest at the position. No pressure, Charles.

"I don't feel like anyone can put as much pressure on me as I put on myself," Clay said of his hefty contract. "I'm going to go out and work hard every single day. What I won't do is go out and start pressing, trying to prove why I got the contract and things like that. Once you start doing that, that's usually when guys start to mess up."

If there's one thing Clay isn't worried about, it's messing up. Whether the Bills run the ball constantly or feed him the ball in the passing game, he has confidence in Roman's offense and Ryan's plan.

"I don't care if we throw the ball 50 times a game, we run the ball 50 times a game," Clay said. "At the end of the day, I just want to win. That's what it all boils down to in this league, is wins and losses, so if we're running the ball 50 times a game and we're winning, I don't think anyone will be complaining."