Chase Claypool creates unrealistic expectations picking Stefon Diggs' old number

The Buffalo Bills don't have one clear answer in terms of how they are going to replace Stefon Diggs for the 2024 season. They traded their former number one wide receiver to the Houston Texans in April, and combined with the departure of Gabe Davis and Deonte Harty, have begun rebuilding the position.

It is almost impossible to find one player, at this point of the offseason and with limited cap space, to replace Diggs but the front office has done a good job of adding as many pieces as possible for a situation where the sum may be greater than its parts.

One of those pieces was added on Friday when the Buffalo Bills signed wide receiver Chase Claypool. He is a former second-round pick who had an excellent rookie season in 2020 but has struggled since then.

Claypool is probably a long shot to make the 53-man roster but the reward is greater than the risk as he could be a difference-maker for this offense with the size he brings to the position. There are not many wide receivers in the league who are bigger than Claypool at 6'2" and 238 pounds.

Chase Claypool makes an interesting choice for his jersey number with the Buffalo Bills

On the Buffalo Bills website, Chase Claypool is listed on the roster with jersey number 14. This is an interesting choice as it was Stefon Diggs' jersey number with the Bills and subconsciously creates some expectations based on how the player who previously wore this jersey performed.

This is also not historically a number that Claypool has worn as he wore 11 with the Pittsburgh Steelers, number 10 with the Chicago Bears and number 83 with Miami Dolphins (which he also wore at Notre Dame).

Claypool probably had to pick a new number as those numbers are currently claimed by Khalil Shakir (10), Mitchell Trubisky (11), and Tre McKitty (83). However, the decision to pick 14 is certainly an interesting one and already sets high expectations entering a pivotal season for Claypool.