Could The Bucs Get Fooled Again?
May 15th, 2010
In mere hours, the Bucs entire team will gather for OTAs, the first time this year that the full squad will practice.
Except perhaps disgruntled left tackle Donald Penn.
As Woody Cummings of the Tampa Tribune points out, there are several vets that need to make a statement to secure their positions with the Bucs. One of which is blocking icon Michael Clayton.
For years, the Bucs embattled wide receiver has been woeful, except for rare occasions. There’s no use in trying to deny that. One reason, Cummings notes, that Clayton has stuck with the Bucs for so long is how he teases the Bucs staff in preseason, only to shrink in the regular season.
No Buccaneer has taken more of a beating this offseason than Clayton. No one should be surprised, though. After being re-signed to a five-year, $24 million contract, Clayton paid the Bucs back last year by posting career-worsts in receptions (16) and yards (230). Now he’s on the bubble, fighting with the likes of Mark Bradley, Mario Urrutia and Preston Parker for a roster spot. The thing about Clayton is that he usually shines during the offseason program and training camp. If he does that again this year he’ll keep his roster spot and maybe even regain his starter’s job.
Joe has stated this before and he will state it again. The lone reason the blocking icon stays with the Bucs is that Bucs general manager Mark Dominik is trying to save face after signing Clayton to a misguided contract last offseason.
Joe’s pretty confident this will be the blocking icon’s last regular season with the Bucs. In other words Bucs fans, Joe hopes you won’t get fooled again.
May 15th, 2010 at 9:21 am
If Clayton does start we got at least one potential bust at wideout from the stupendous draft.
Although we almost won every game Clayton played in last season, and came within a whisker of the playoffs.
May 15th, 2010 at 9:49 am
If the Blocking Icon is on the roster when the regular season starts the Bucs are just plain STUPID. If they are that STUPID, there is now way they will win many games. Let’s face it, STUPID people don’t win in the NFL. PERIOD. Clayton is a coach (/franchise) killer.
CUT CLAYTON NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
May 15th, 2010 at 9:53 am
In every other instance, when this regime has screwed up, and there has been quite a few, they are very quick to admit thier mistake and not let ego drag out a bad situation. I respect that very much.
Because of this, I believe Stonehands is still on the roster in hopes that there is a training camp injury that makes Clayton valuable enough to another team to trade. It only makes sense to keep him untill we have to cut the roster to 53. Why release him and get nothing, and lose out on his guaranteed money? There is still a chance that a desperate team could give us a 6th or 7th round pick for him and tkae over his finam=ncial obligations.
If we can’t deal him by the time we have to cut the roster to 53, he will be released. There is no doubt in my mind. Raheem and Dom don’t even use his name anymore when talking about the WR corps. He is a dead man walking.
May 15th, 2010 at 10:15 am
Outside01:
That’s a really good point. Joe has heard Dominik in a number of interviews since the draft and when talking about wide receivers he never mentions Michael Clayton.
He does mention Mo Stovall however, which should be a red flag to Clayton.
May 15th, 2010 at 10:17 am
Aint nobody that desperate, not even Joe(s) on Saturday night.
May 15th, 2010 at 10:35 am
I think Cummings hit it directly on the head… EVERY YEAR we hear from the beat writers and the Bucs themselves how Clayton shines in the the camps and preseason, not even talking about about the shorts and jersey part but also full contact pads.. I think the regime is holding out hope that he finally translates what they see on the practice field to the game field. They thought a new contract last year would help the transition ( obviously didn’t) and now Clayton and everyone knows this is last year to do it… Clayton is like that guy you used in your study groups.. during the homework and review sessions he knew every answer and helping everyone else out understand the problems but come test time would be the guy to get a D on the Exam.. you know he has it within him but it’s just not showing.
May 15th, 2010 at 11:58 am
ReaderM:
You are clueless. That was the worst analogy ever – students who know all the answers but get D’s – what?
Clayton is a receiver who cant separate and cant catch – period. Despite what some of you believe, he doesnt do that well in practice either. What he does do is put forth effort and attempts to lead which makes him seem valuable in practice.
NOBODY will trade for him, quit raising that as a reason to cut him. If he is not a top 5 receiver for you – right not – he should be cut. Arguably, that is not a worse receiver in any teams top 5 in the league. Admit another mistake and cut him and open up a legit $-free competition between the young guys.
May 15th, 2010 at 12:18 pm
Given his practice abilities, wouldn’t Mr. Clayton be a strong candidate for “driving force of the team” honors?
May 15th, 2010 at 12:23 pm
They won’t be able to trade him because of his salary. PERIOD.
May 15th, 2010 at 12:29 pm
Meet the new Clayton, same as the old Clayton
May 15th, 2010 at 1:09 pm
“”They won’t be able to trade him because of his salary. PERIOD.””
That’s not entirely true. Clayton could agree to renegotiate a new contract with a new team. There is also the possiblity that the Bucs would agree to eat most of his guaranteed money if a trade were to happen. If we release him, we eat it all anyways. If we trade him and eat it, at least we get a late round pick, which is better than nothing at all.
Unless there is a sudden flood of reciever injuries in training camps, I don’t see a trade happening anyways. It still makes sense to hold onto him untill the final roster cut just incase. You lose nothing by keeping him for now. You just make fans nervous.
May 15th, 2010 at 1:51 pm
The terms of Clayton’s contract are as follows: 5 YR/ $25 MIL but with only $10 MIL guaranteed. Give him his guaranteed money and then use the other $15 MIL to re-sign Ruud, Cadillac, Penn, or one of our other hard-working players!
May 15th, 2010 at 6:04 pm
his name is CLAYHANDS not clayton….get it right fellas…..adam from ny
May 15th, 2010 at 6:06 pm
he has been seen hanging at that filthy bath house in drew park as well….i wonder what he does with his clayhands when over there….yikes!
May 15th, 2010 at 6:48 pm
“You lose nothing by keeping him for now. You just make fans nervous.”
Unless he gets injured, then they’re on the hook for his salary.
May 15th, 2010 at 10:36 pm
Cool Who video Joe,nice trip down memory lane.
Watched the Who link with Tommy Smothers.
Damm am I old.
May 15th, 2010 at 11:05 pm
Wish you could have thrown in some of Claytons muffs to accentuate the Who soundtrack. I still cringe whenever I think of the way Clayton nonchalantly coughed the ball up last year against the Dolphins near the Bucs endzone. Or the time he was wide open in the Pittsburgh game and the ball hit him right in the hands and clanged off them like an iron skillet. Oh god, the pain of remembering is as sweet as a recurring nightmare.
May 16th, 2010 at 3:07 am
Joe, more Keith Moon and the Who, less this asshole Clayton who can’t catch a cold if he licked the floor of a hospital!! The dude is toast, screw him and move on to more legitimate players who can help this team!
May 16th, 2010 at 11:17 am
LOL!!
May 17th, 2010 at 10:22 pm
The only thing he catches is his paycheck. Cut this doofus he is a waste of time and money. LOL!!!! sign T.O. he would be another in the long line of bucko reciever losers!!!