A regular look at 30 people who will affect the 2007 NFL season.In 2004, his rookie season, Tampa Bay wide receiver Michael Clayton looked like a future superstar.
Well, looks can be deceiving. Today it was revealed that Clayton isn't even a starter in Tampa Bay, as he's been passed on the depth chart by Maurice Stovall.
So who is Stovall? He's a 6-foot-5, 222-pound product of Notre Dame who caught just seven passes as a rookie last year, but Pro Football Prospectus 2007 describes him as "the perfect Jon Gruden receiver: a big target for hitches and smash routes who can also work the middle of the field and block a little."
That's exactly what Tampa Bay needs. Clayton has been a huge disappointment the last two seasons, but Stovall is a young talent on the rise.
Bottom line: Stovall hasn't done much in the NFL yet, but he will this year. He might just become Jeff Garcia's favorite receiver.
30 to Watch: See them all.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-18-2007 @ 3:11AM
Sean said...
Stovall is not destined for any form of NFL stardom or importance. He is a career #2 at the very best. As a religious ND fan I would have a hard time recounting the number of Quinn passes that hit him dead in the hands that he dropped. Quick slants, deep bombs, crossing routes in the end-zone, passes that had nothing to do with Quinn's sometimes questionable accuracy just dropped. This is just a case of people search too hard for that "sleeper" guy. I am not one generally to argue with the Prospectus, but here they are just plain wrong.
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