To save some cap room prior to free agency, the Buccaneers waved farewell to five players, including wide receivers Joey Galloway and Ike Hilliard. Of course, when you cut two of the six receivers on your active roster, you leave yourself with a bit of a depth issue. To bridge the gap a bit, Tampa Bay has reportedly re-upped wide receiver Michael Clayton to a five-year deal.You have to believe that the Bucs will guarantee as little of the contract as possible, given Clayton's rather rapid decline since a sensational rookie season in 2004. In his debut year out of LSU, Clayton put up 80 catches for 1,193 yards and seven touchdowns. Since then, over a span of four seasons, Clayton has 1,513 yards and just two measly touchdowns.
Conclusion: Ho-hum. Clayton will get another chance to prove that his rookie campaign wasn't the flukiest fluke that ever fluked.
Is there hope for Clayton? Yeah, sure. You don't put up a 1,200-yard season in the NFL without having some ability, and Clayton's athletic 6-foot-4 frame makes him a decent target. One problem: Tampa Bay doesn't really have one of those ... oh, what's the word ... quarterbacks. Brian Griese and Luke McCown are fine, but neither is going to be capable of reigniting a passing offense, let alone making Clayton a star again.
But if the Bucs bring in the right guy, with Antonio Bryant lined up opposite Clayton, he could renew his career yet.
