Changing Perspective May Help Michael Clayton
July 28th, 2010
Taking a break this morning from ascribing motives — what some suggest Joe does — Joe came across an interesting piece by Anwar Richardson, of the Tampa Tribune, who detailed five Bucs players with something to prove.
Predictably, blocking icon Michael Clayton was atop the list. The former first round draft pick has, in Richardson’s words, vanished from his studly rookie season and is on the verge of not making the squad this year.
Clayton’s main objective should not be becoming a starter this season, but actually making the 54-man roster. Clayton has done a vanishing act since his 2004 rookie season. In April, Tampa Bay drafted rookie receivers Arrelious Benn and Mike Williams to compete for a starting spot, and they traded for Reggie Brown. Clayton typically shines during camp, but he could be the odd man out.
This intrigued Joe. Clayton may very well get caught in a numbers game but Joe believes Bucs general manager Mark Dominik will give Clayton one more chance. Perhaps Clayton could help himself, as Richardson believes, by changing his goals?
Clayton is clearly a physical player as evidenced by his solid blocking. Maybe he could be a special teams warrior, a demon coming down on kickoffs or someone who could blow up would-be blockers on the punt return team and block some punts?
Maybe there is still hope for the Bucs blocking icon?
July 28th, 2010 at 12:05 pm
oh this should be entertaining…. i predict for the first time in JBF history 100% agreement on a post!
Yea! All the haters and kool-aiders can hold hands on this one!
July 28th, 2010 at 12:07 pm
Damn it! On 2nd thought, I can’t allow this.
Clayton will make the pro-bowl and be a 1000 yd. receiver! Please keep Clayton!
LOL…j/k (in case you couldn’t tell).
July 28th, 2010 at 12:20 pm
2nd one in! 100% agree! Next
July 28th, 2010 at 12:28 pm
Clayton will be making his trips to the bank again this year…
July 28th, 2010 at 12:33 pm
If Clayton makes the roster, he may get more yards than Antonio Bryant. I just read that he may start the season on PUP list! His knee is still swollen and he can’t make cuts like a NFL receiver should be able to. Not to mention T.O. was just signed. Looks like Dom may have had some inside info on Bryant that influenced his decision not to re-sign him.
July 28th, 2010 at 12:39 pm
54 man roster?
July 28th, 2010 at 12:57 pm
NO_JOE._cUTcLAYTON_NOW!!!!!!!
July 28th, 2010 at 1:02 pm
On an off-topic: Here is a shot out to Steve White. Nice play too!
http://www.bucstop.com/videos/1999white18.mov
July 28th, 2010 at 1:11 pm
Gary you are an idiot and have no idea what you are talking about lol j/k
I think he could be a beast on special teams like Joe described, he could be a very expensive specialist
July 28th, 2010 at 2:22 pm
“Maybe he could be a special teams warrior, a demon coming down on kickoffs or someone who could blow up would-be blockers on the punt return team and block some punts?”
Joe, I’m not sure if you’re kidding or not. But the team paid is paying Clayton to CATCH the ball. 5 YR/ $S25 mil for blocking and special teams work??? A first round pick? That’s a waste. He also wastes a roster spot.
How many chances is this guy gonna get?!?!?!?!?!? I’m so sick of this crap! This guy has lasted 6 years with this team! Done nothing to deserve a job.
July 28th, 2010 at 2:23 pm
Can he play LT?
July 28th, 2010 at 2:29 pm
What about making him a stong safety.That way he doesn’t have to catch the ball and he’s big enough put a hard hit on a receiver.Damn,we need to recover something from that big contract.
July 28th, 2010 at 2:33 pm
Would be funny if Rah makes him play special teams this year. I mean he would be a pretty darn good special teamer, for the first time in his career. LOL
July 28th, 2010 at 2:43 pm
Patrick:
No, Joe is not kidding. If a receiver is on the bubble, one way to get on the team is to prove your worth on special teams. (See: Stovall, Mo).
And Joe truly believes Clayton could blow people up on kickoffs.
July 28th, 2010 at 3:10 pm
He did play some Safety (or Corner) at LSU…
July 28th, 2010 at 4:39 pm
If he is good at special teams do it. Who cares if he is getting big bucs. It’s not like the cheap o’s are going to spend it on a fee agent.
July 28th, 2010 at 10:22 pm
I don’t think Clayton is good at anything anymore. I can’t see him playing Special Teams. He might break a finger nail or get his uniform dirty. I just don’t see it. If fan sentiment counts for anything, they should release him. No one on God’s Green Earth would be upset about it. Maybe the Bengals could add him to their list of “Has Beens”
July 28th, 2010 at 10:58 pm
Can you be a “Has Been” if you only had one good year out of five and that was the first year? Maybe he’s better off listed as a “Might have been”? An “Almost was”?
July 29th, 2010 at 1:19 am
Clayton will become another Thomas Jones. I almost think he is jinxed here in Tampa. We will probably cut him, and he will do well somewhere else.
July 29th, 2010 at 7:21 am
Thomas Jones played great here. Never did figure out why they let him leave!
July 29th, 2010 at 8:10 am
Um, isn’t one of the problems in our Tight End group that we’ve got a slew of pass-catching TEs and none who can really lay a good block? I think the Bucs should convert Clayton to TE and kill two birds with one stone.
July 29th, 2010 at 8:22 am
How much would he really have to gain to be a prototypical blocking TE? Might be alot, but it could work.
July 29th, 2010 at 9:39 am
Yeah I’ve kind of had that feeling also of Clayton going somewhere and shining. If I’m right, we had Steve Young and of course he had a HOF career with another team! Man when you think about it, the Bucs really should not have been a perennial loser for many years. If Culverhouse had just re-signed Williams, or they kept Steve Young and actually had decent management that SAW something in the future hall of famer, we might have a couple of super bowls. But yet again, we probably wouldn’t have Brooks, Sapp, Barber, Lynch, Dungy or any of those other important guys. We’d probably still be in the orange uniforms too. How weird would that be.
July 29th, 2010 at 11:18 am
Yes, it is strange! The Bucs have had 4 ex-QBs go on to the SuperBowl, with 3 turning out to win it! Doug Williams, Steve Young, Trent Dilfer(more of D then him but…), and Chris Chandler. If you want to get to get technical it’s really 5 QBs. The fifth being Steve DeBerg, whom was Chandlers back-up.
July 29th, 2010 at 11:20 am
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where SuperBowl QBs are born! LOL!