Through all the disarray that continues to unfold from the Buffalo Bills, a few positives have risen to the top as noticeable improvements from last season and years prior.

The Bills, at the moment, could be characterized by fans as a number of things – maybe a dumpster fire or a sinking ship. Both seem to fit the mold but one thing that might also fit the mold is a tight end passing offense.

Many Buffalo fans may be thinking ‘what is a tight end?’ or, ‘I didn’t even know Buffalo was allowed to throw to a tight end,’ but truth be told, the Bills are permitted to pass to tight ends and are primed to do so very much this year.

The loss of Sammy Watkins and Anquan Boldin can already be felt in Buffalo. The air was deflated from the balloon and all fleeting hope of a healthy Sammy Watkins was diminished when the Bills pulled the trigger to trade the former-fourth overall pick.

No one is saying that Charles Clay or Nick O’Leary or even Logan Thomas for that matter could match the talent and electricity provided by Sammy Watkins but replacing the threat of him can be manageable for Buffalo.

Throughout training camp and the preseason, the Bills have transformed their offense from that of years prior. A once fast receiving core has been replaced with strong receivers who aren’t afraid to take a hit. Although Jordan Matthews hasn’t taken the field yet, he’s known for toughness and consistency.

A player who has fit into this new system well and is making strides is Buffalo tight end, Charles Clay.

To most Bills fans, Clay is someone that the team overpaid or failed to utilize but his proper utilization may finally be here in 2017. In three preseason games, Clay has the third-most receptions for Buffalo, hauling in seven passes for 63 yards and has been targeted 11 times by Bills quarterbacks.

Buffalo’s head coach Sean McDermott had this to say Saturday night about his quarterbacks’ comfort level with Clay.

“That’s important. The tight end can be – if used the right way – a quarterback’s best friend. They know where to find him, he knows where to be in third-and-short situations. He can also get vertical…I really like where Charles is in his development and getting himself ready for the end of the season.”

For Clay, he’s entering his third season for the Bills and is just 28-years old. The Buffalo tight end’s best year with the team was last season when he hauled in 54 receptions for 532 yards and four touchdowns, becoming the only Bills tight end in history to have multiple 50+ reception seasons.

After reading this you just might have to rethink your opinion on Charles Clay. The tight end is coming off a great year and only looks to improve on that with more opportunities to come this season.

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