Feb 24, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan speaks to the media during the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

It must be easy to look the other way when Bills’ fans express hope for the upcoming season, especially in recent years’ past. That’s what ESPN’s John Clayton is doing, but is this really the year to do it?

Where there’s hype, there will most certainly always be hate. That pretty much explains the Buffalo Bills’ off-season right there.

The good news, the hype is coming from the fans and the team itself, while the hate is coming from just another analyst trying to make it difficult for Bills’ fans to sleep at night. Well, it’s not going to work this year, John Clayton.

First, let’s talk about the upbeat voice we’ve heard pretty much all off-season long: the voice of Tyrod Taylor.

Tyrod Taylor has done a very good job of dodging criticism this off-season from pretty much all angles. It started with the fact that he hadn’t signed a contract extension with the Bills yet and continued when it became apparent that it most likely won’t happen until mid-season.

In a recent interview with ESPN, he responded well when asked about the situation:

“The contract situation will play out. My mindset is to go out there and win games. Do whatever it takes to win games, lead the guys, be the leader on the field, off the field and a commander. But I’m not necessarily focused on the contract. I can’t control that. … I’ve always been one that focuses on the things I can control, and that’s going to be my preparation and how I go out there and play. I’ll let everything else take care of itself.”

There has also been a lot of criticism regarding the Bills’ mindset and whether they are ready to be a force in this league. That was also addressed in that same interview:

“… we’re definitely positive in the locker room. We want to be the ones that change that mindset. The community is definitely ready for something to happen, as far as a playoff run, and I think we have the talent to do so.”

Lastly, Tyrod Taylor was asked about the comparisons being made between him and last year’s MVP, Cam Newton. Although many people would think that kind of pressure would be tough to deal with, especially for a second-year starting quarterback, Tyrod once again kept his cool.

“Our skill sets are similar. Do I believe I can be potentially an NFL MVP? I definitely have the confidence in my game. But I just gotta take it one game at a time. I definitely see the growth from last year to this spring. I just gotta continue to take steps forward and perfect my game.”

Taylor couldn’t have said it any better, especially since he is still very young.

Now, let’s get to ESPN’s John Clayton and how he feels about the upcoming Bills’ season.

In a recent article that featured a number of “bold” predictions for the upcoming season, he chose two of them to demote our hometown Bills. Here’s the first one:

“A sleeper free-agent pickup for the Denver Broncos next offseason? How about quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who has one year left on his contract with the Bills. Denver could sign Taylor to another one-year deal, and he could help bridge the gap if first-round pick Paxton Lynch isn’t ready to start in 2017.”

Clayton also made another bold prediction, stating that this season would be Rex Ryan’s last season as head coach of the Buffalo Bills, noting the reasoning would be a failure to reach the playoffs.

Now hold on, I know these are bold predictions, but they might seem a little too bold. There are plenty of better bold predictions to make about Denver’s quarterback situation and definitely coaches that are more on the hot seat than Rex Ryan — who has only had one season with the team (along with much of the whole team).

Let me just shoot this whole “Tyrod Taylor going to the Broncos” prediction dead in its tracks. First off, both the Bills and Taylor have openly expressed interest in signing a long-term deal mid-season. With optimism coming from both sides, I doubt a deal won’t get done by the time his contract runs out next season.

Even if all goes terribly for the Bills and Taylor says he doesn’t have any more interest in playing here anymore, I doubt he chooses a Broncos’ one-year deal as his escape-route. Especially when we all know there are a lot of teams that would’ve loved to sign Taylor to a long-term deal this off-season.

What’s important is that Tyrod Taylor — and Rex Ryan — are both in town now and here this upcoming season. The focus needs to be on preparing for Week 1 and beyond. As Taylor said it best, let everything else work itself out.

And I have a feeling everything is going to work itself out.

Does John Clayton dislike Buffalo? What do you think about his bold predictions on the Bills? Leave your comments below!