Injuries To Teammates Clayton’s Lone Lifesaver
July 2nd, 2010
Joe has written too many times to count that he believes that the Bucs blocking icon, wide receiver Michael Clayton, will be on the Bucs roster this fall.
Joe came to this conclusion because he feels Bucs general manager Mark Dominik will give Clayton one last opportunity to justify the $26 million contract he threw at the blocking icon last offseason.
Stephen Holder is of a different mindset. A Bucs beat writer for the St. Petersburg Times, Holder thinks the only way Clayton remains (though Holder is certain he will report to One Buc Palace for training camp) on the Bucs roster this fall is if there are injuries to Clayton’s fellow wide receivers.
Another reason Clayton will stick around is because the Bucs still would trade him if the opportunity presented itself, giving general manager Mark Dominik a chance to salvage something out of what has been an unpopular and, ultimately, unwise decision to re-sign Clayton to a $26 million deal last year. This might sound like a pipe dream, and maybe it is, but it doesn’t cost the Bucs anything to hang on to Clayton during the preseason and shop him, hoping another club finds itself in a dire situation at receiver.
I often ask myself whether there is anything Clayton can do to find a place on the final roster this fall, and it’s hard to come up with an answer. Even if he has a brilliant camp and preseason — and he often has — its hard to think it’ll be enough to get the Bucs to look beyond all the past disappointments. Consider that last season, after inking his new contract, Clayton had just 16 receptions, the fewest in his career. Frankly, injuries to other receivers that greatly affect the depth might be the only thing that can keep Clayton around.
Former Bucs defensive end Steve White, who writes a weekly “Bull Rush”column for Joe, also believes, like Holder, Clayton won’t be on the Bucs roster this fall. White says it has a little to do with money but everything to do with numbers, as he wrote on his own blog recently.
July 2nd, 2010 at 2:39 pm
At this point, don’t see that situation going any other way, it’s a damn shame, he showed so much promise as a rookie. Gotta wonder why it fell apart.
July 2nd, 2010 at 3:05 pm
After he showed up his second year to camp overweight, I put it on laziness, lost desire/passion, and money(he was taking it to the bank before he got that big re-signing too). Obviously his “doghouse” excuse was just that! Besides, you usually get put in those for a REASON!
July 2nd, 2010 at 6:19 pm
He blamed Gruden for all his problems and Raheem and Dummynick were stupid enough to buy into his crap. And the two of them worked with Chucky for several years!!
July 2nd, 2010 at 7:02 pm
I wonder what will( i am not saying it will) happen and be said if we do Cut or Trade Clayton and he changes as a player. Starts to catch anything thrown his way scores double digit TD every season 1100 yards receiving in a season.
Who’s fault will it be then? I have always been rooting as a fan for Clayton to do what he did his first season, but it never has happened again.
As i see it from out here in Arizona it will take a tragic van load of Buc WR crashing over the Gandy Bridge into Tampa Bay and no survivors for Clayton to be a Buc this season.
Cut our losses and move forward, we don’t want our rookie and young WR’s to watch and learn much from Clayton as training camp starts.
July 2nd, 2010 at 7:27 pm
Trade him? For what – a sack of footballs?
July 2nd, 2010 at 7:37 pm
a sack full of @$$holes is more like it.
Clayton should have stayed in lousy-ana and been an Aint.
More Beer!!!
July 2nd, 2010 at 9:48 pm
Trade him? What moronic GM would take his salary. What could we get for him, a big orange cooler and a kicking tee. Trade him, give me a break.
July 3rd, 2010 at 12:42 pm
As long as it doesn’t cost us anything else, except maybe some embarassment from signing him. Why not maybe we can get some schlep of an idiot to hook us up with a couple of mid to late round draft picks with escalators on the picks if he manages to get some energy and perform for a different team. Kinda reminds me of Vinnie Casteala of ripping of the Rays fame.