Cuts across the league continue to bubble and one former Dolphins fan favorite was among the casualties yesterday afternoon. The Buffalo Bills announced they were parting ways with TE Charles Clay after 4 seasons with the team.
Clay, who was selected by the Dolphins 174th-overall in the 2011 NFL Draft, played his first four seasons in Miami. After two pedestrian seasons to start his career, Clay exploded as a legitimate receiving threat for the Dolphins, logging 127 receptions for 1,364 yards and 9 touchdowns between 2013 and 2014 combined to lead up to a contract standoff between division rivals.
The Dolphins slapped Clay with the transition tag before Buffalo ultimately tempted Clay to leave Miami prior to the 2015 season, thanks in large part due to a $10M signing bonus that the Dolphins were in no position to match.
Clay was among the Bills team leaders in receptions in each of his first three seasons in Buffalo before struggling through the 2018 season.
Dolphins fans will most fondly remember Clay’s tenure with the Bills by a single play: a dropped pass in the end zone on the final play of a 21-17 Dolphins victory at Hard Rock Stadium this past December.
The Bills will save $4.5M by cutting Clay ahead of the final year of his 5-year, $38M deal.
