ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — A second-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft, wide receiver Chase Claypool's journey in the National Football League certainly hasn't gone as expected.
"I know there are times where it can be frustrating if I'm not living up to my potential, but if it's frustrating on the outside world, it's even more frustrating for me," Claypool said. "I understand where I should be and I understand that I haven't met those expectations."
Claypool, signing a one-year deal with the Bills earlier in the month, has now played for four different teams since the start of the 2022 season.
"There's changes that happen through organizations, and through my journey things have changed, and sometimes things work out well for you, and sometimes they don't," he said.
The 25-year-old went from recording a career-high 62 receptions for 873 yards and 11 touchdowns in his rookie year with the Steelers to completely dropping off the stat sheet accounting for only seven targets in nine games with the Miami Dolphins.
"I went from being a starter playing every play to going to Miami and really not playing at all," Claypool said. "It almost reignited, not reignited, but made me realize my love for the game because even though I was doing nothing that I wanted to do or expected to do, special teams stuff like that, at the time I realized how much I love football because when I did get the opportunity to be out there, I loved it."
Added Bills coach Sean McDermott: "You don't find that a lot around the NFL where a player has been at a certain level and then is on a mission right now to reclaim what he once was in that regard and those are my words, maybe not fair to Chase, respectfully. I would just say very impressed with his day to day approach, true pro, high character, smart player, and been a good addition to our team."
Claypool is now one of eight new receivers that the Bills have added this offseason and is hoping to rewrite his story right here in Buffalo.
"There's inefficiencies in everyone's game and you have to be able to realize those," Claypool said. "I know my inefficiencies and things that I have to work on and that's what I did a lot this offseason. I started that early since I didn't play too much last year, I was able to start my offseason a lot earlier and get a head start."
The Bills OTAs continue on for two more weeks over at One Bills Drive before the start of mandatory minicamp on June 11.