Michael Clayton May Be On Thin Ice
March 27th, 2010
There is no question the player that gets the biggest rise out of Bucs fans is wide receiver Michael Clayton.
Signed to a lucrative contract in the offseason following Chucky’s dismissal, in part due to his keen blocking, Clayton by any standards has lost virtually all credibility he built after having a tremendous rookie season in 2004.
In the past five seasons, the blocking icon has hauled in a grand total of three touchdowns. To Bucs fans, he is much better known for his drops, too numerous to count, than his blocking ability.
It has gotten to the point that even overly positive Raheem the Dream is implying, through the Mad Twitterer of the St. Petersburg Times, that Clayton may not be with the Bucs in 2010.
“Everybody is on the bubble,’’ Morris said. “You talk about Michael Clayton, he came in last year, you saw him in ota days, we thought he was going to come back and have a better year. Unfortunately, he pulled a hamstring, he did this and did that…he’s going to go out there and give it his best shot.
“The guy plays so hard, he gets little nagging injuries that hurts his performance then he drops the football and absolutely pisses everybody off and all anyone remembers is the drop. I have a lot of confidence in Michael. Michael has a lot of confidence in himself. I look for him to come out and be more prepared than he was last year.’’
More prepared? Joe was under the impression Clayton was in fine form until he got nicked up in preseason.
Maybe Joe missed something along the way, but this is the first Joe has heard that Clayton was not prepared for the 2009 season. If that is truly the case, after he signed such a monster contract, that’s a very damning comment by Raheem the Dream.
March 27th, 2010 at 2:25 pm
He was to busy cashing that check to be fully prepared last year. This year though he is going to be better since now Gruden is gone and the check is cashed and securely in the bank.
March 27th, 2010 at 3:08 pm
I love a good blocking icon story.
But to me the shocking aspect of the Dream’s statement is “i have a lot of confidence in Michael”.
I wonder what he could possibly be basing that on?
March 27th, 2010 at 3:39 pm
Cut him now
March 27th, 2010 at 4:12 pm
Cut his arse…For goodness sakes Torry Holt is still available and I’m sure would take Claytons paycheck and even dare I say CATCH THE DAMN BALL!!!
March 27th, 2010 at 4:36 pm
keep him on ice….
March 27th, 2010 at 4:38 pm
Id rather bring back Ike Hilliard……………..
March 27th, 2010 at 4:38 pm
can you imagine if clayton and Dilfer played together on the same Buc team…..
🙂
March 27th, 2010 at 4:57 pm
How about if we sprinkled in Alvin Harper and Dexter Jackson, and maybe some Booker Reece on DL, to be led by Ray Perkins.
Oh wait, thats actually better than this team.
Never mind.
Sorry.
March 27th, 2010 at 5:28 pm
Clayton since 2004 has made more excuses than catches. What is it he was not prepared or he was hurt last year cause Bryant was hurt and he had 600 yds and 5 td’s. I agree with everyone above realsing him would be such a joy cause I honestly I dont see anyone in the leauge picking him up. This is how I found this site 80sucks.com
March 27th, 2010 at 5:33 pm
This is why I think they should have singed Bryant obviusly he played hurt #2 he outproduced any reciver on are team #3 He singed the same deal Clayton has. Why are we waitng to cut this Bum
March 27th, 2010 at 5:37 pm
It is amazing how much Clayton has pissed away his career. Got a big head after his rookie year and he never got back the fire. He’s another reason why Duemig loses a lot of credibility with me. He defended Clayton for the longest time just because he liked him and had the hour show with him once upon a time. If Duemig likes you, he will defend you no matter what (see Tiger, Bobby Knight, John T., Alstott, KJ, Clayton and now Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dum).
March 27th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
Eric S:
To be fair, Steve said in the middle of last season that he can no longer defend Clayton’s play.
March 27th, 2010 at 5:47 pm
to use your (Buccaneer) 16th overall pick in the draft to select a wide reciever when 4 had already been selected in the first 15 picks is beyond me….many many skill positions having top ranked positional impact players sitting on the board….and then to watch him score his 1st NFL TD sana helmet..a Ike Haggins / Danny Pebbles
reincarnate
March 27th, 2010 at 5:49 pm
I dont understand something about Clayton. What changed after his rookie year that caused him to forget how to catch a ball? I mean, all the excuses aside, catching a ball thrown to you is a primal instinct, you either can or cant. His first year proved that he can. If he wasnt prepared, or given enough opportunties, that could hurt his route running, conditioning, etc. but if a well thrown ball is coming at him, he catches them his first year when he knows nothing but then drops them afterwards. I dont get it. You can say he isnt motivated because of his contract, but he isnt thinking about any of that while catching a ball, or trying to i should say. Something must have changed to cause this.
March 27th, 2010 at 5:51 pm
The state of the franchise can be summed up in five words:
Clayton’s still on the roster.
March 27th, 2010 at 5:57 pm
I’d rather have Dexter Jackson. CUT CLAYTON YESTERDAY!!!
March 27th, 2010 at 6:40 pm
@Tom
LMAO
March 27th, 2010 at 6:44 pm
We may have to pull Einstein in on this, to come up with a formula for why Clayton sucks so bad.
What get me is when he DOES catch it, he almost always fumbles it.
March 27th, 2010 at 6:44 pm
chew on this dummynik lovers:
pre-last season the bucs teenage gm elected to sign michael clayton to a 5 year 26 million contract and franchise a. bryant for 9 million.
if the kid would have just offered the clayton contract to bryant – with a little more guaranteed, we would have bryant under contract and would not be contractually married to clayton.
chew on that….
March 27th, 2010 at 6:50 pm
by the way. 10,5 million of clayton’s contract was guaranteed.
if clayton is cut, dummynick paid 10.5 million for 1 year worth of clayton and more than 20 million for clayton and bryant for 1 season each on a 3-13 team with a rookie qb.
20 million is 25% of the 79 million payroll for 53 players and a practice squad. 2 out of 60 players made 25% of the salaries and both are likely not to be here this year.
real-wise money management.
Now you all no why “we are not players in free agency” and are going to build (save) through the draft.
March 27th, 2010 at 8:19 pm
I don’t understand why you people are so high on Antonio Bryant??? He has had 1 good year ever!!! Get off his jock. That guy is a joke. He talked crap about our young QB. He didn’t want to be here obviously. You don’t do that toward the end of the year, especially a contract year, if you want to stay with that team. You people are crazy for supporting this guy. We can draft two guys in the 7th round that would be way better than that garbage. Mike Williams from Syracuse and Freddy Barnes from Bowling Green. And thats the 7th round.
I would have prefered us to spend that 20 million on some solid talent. Not garbage. Bryant and Clayton are the same. One great year in their whole career!!!!!!!!!!!!!
March 27th, 2010 at 8:32 pm
Gary, that is a good question. IIRC, Clayton said after his good season that he didn’t watch the ball into his hands, just relying on natural athleticism,I guess. I have been watching NFL receivers since the days of Tommy McDonald, & I firmly believe that the great majority of the drops that occur nowadays are the result of not watching the ball into your hands. Plain & simple. What worked for Michael in 2004 has betrayed him since.
He doesn’t seem to separate like he did as a rook either–has he put on weight??
March 27th, 2010 at 8:38 pm
Michael Clayton needs to have a 2008 Antonio Bryant redeem season. He can do it. I believe in you Michael, prove us all wrong please!
March 27th, 2010 at 8:59 pm
“Not prepared.” I’m glad you caught that Joe because I missed it the first time around. Morris is hallucinating again. Clayton in the OTA’s was caught sneaking out early. This from a clown who said he wanted to be a team leader. I’m sure he didn’t pcik that leadership trait up from Derrick Brooks. Clayton played the whole preseason in the tub. He only emerged for the third preseason game where he played one quarter with Sluggo. the rest of the time he played possum with his hammy. He is no leader and now hearing he wasn’t prepared makes him look even worse.
Come on, drdneast, play nice. — Joe 🙂
March 27th, 2010 at 9:00 pm
@ grudensucks:
the point is not that bryant is great.
the point is that this org committed 20 million last year to bryant and clayton -both are or should be gone. and surely if you were to lock one of the two uplong term everyone would agree that bryant would be the better choice.
the point is really that this regime is not qualified if it is wasting money this way. i thought we were spending wisely and rebuilding last year – then why spend 20 million on 2 receivers who will not be there the next year for your rookie qb.
who i believe the jury is still out on btw.
March 27th, 2010 at 9:10 pm
The Clayton signing and the Bryant non-signing are epic mistakes.
Winslow was a very good move, and the Adams trade also.
Josh? Who knows. Could still be an all pro or a bust.
A mixed bag so far. Better be a stupendous draft as promised.
March 27th, 2010 at 9:54 pm
A Gruden Sucks I made a Bryant reference. Um he has had a better Carrer than Clayton that was my point we are better with Braynt 39 catches then with Clayton’s 16
March 27th, 2010 at 9:58 pm
I did say Joe that Steve defended him for the longest time. You are basically repeating what I just said. He kept on defending him in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and some of 2009. I know why he defended him before 2009 because Gruden, who Steve dislikes immensely, wasn’t playing him as much as he sucked more and more.
It will be interesting to see if Clayton sticks around.
March 27th, 2010 at 10:00 pm
Freeman raises a whole new can of worms. I am not convinced he will be a franchise quarterback, but I am not convinced he won’t, either. He did evince some Testaverde traits last year.But he is what we got at the present & into the near future.
March 27th, 2010 at 10:38 pm
@ MIke J they say if you draft a QB and he dont work out it sets your franchise back 4 years . I like Freeman but not sold on him yet 18 ints in 9 games are alot I f he played a full season he would almost be at 27 INT’s. No proven are Consistent recivers next year is not good either
March 28th, 2010 at 12:39 am
Bryant and Clayton are terrible. Its a shame we wasted 20m on them. I agreed with them tagging Bryant last year. See how he acts with the money and to see if he performs well before being paid a long term deal. Clayton on the otherhand. I have no F’n clue why he got that deal. More power to him but thats bad judgement on our teams part. Neither player is worth the contracts they got. I wouldn’t have resigned Bryant this year and def. not Clayton last year. This draft has 12-15 WR that will be way better than they could ever dream of!!!!!!!!!
March 28th, 2010 at 12:47 am
I think Freeman showed enough to be optimistic of the future. I am more concerned about his fumbling than the picks. The guy seemed to fumble a couple of times every game. He needs to learn how to take care of the ball.
March 28th, 2010 at 8:58 am
Haven’t we already covered the fact that Clayton is on thin ice??
March 28th, 2010 at 9:18 am
radio:
think with more depth.
we arenot discussing clayton being on thin ice, we are discussing why he is still on the roster which isonly b/c these idiots guaranteed him 10 million last season and got about 1 catch per game.
oh yea, i forgot he also was a great blocker for a”running game”which finished last in the league.
March 28th, 2010 at 9:42 am
Raheem Belichick is the only coach I can think of that could turn Clayton around.