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WR Michael Clayton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
HT: 6-4, WT: 197, Born: 10-13-1982, College: LSU, Drafted: Round 1, Pick 15
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2008 Projections
| RSH | YD | Y/R | TD | REC | YD | Y/R | TD | FPT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Dodds | 3 | 15 | 5.0 | 0 | 33 | 426 | 12.9 | 2 | 56 |
| Chris Smith | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 467 | 14.2 | 3 | 65 | |
| Bob Henry | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 0 | 18 | 238 | 13.2 | 1 | 30 |
| Jason Wood | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 0 | 15 | 170 | 11.3 | 1 | 24 |
| Maurile Tremblay | 7 | 37 | 5.3 | 0 | 29 | 405 | 14.0 | 2 | 56 |
Best Case
Michael Clayton is a former first round pick who once brought an A-game to the field every week. We haven't seen him play well since his rookie season, though, and last year he hit a new low with 22 catches for 301 yards and no scores. If he can claw his way back into good graces (and the starting lineup), we know he has the skills to play at this level. Time will tell whether Clayton has a chance to display them again for us this year.
Worst Case
Clayton has regressed every season since he joined the NFL. There is no reason to think that he'll suddenly get back to form this year. He might not get another chance to show us what he can do.
Outlook
Right now, Clayton looks like a long shot to be of value in fantasy leagues, but the two guys in front of him on the depth chart are both very old. Clayton could end up starting for the Buccaneers if the worst happens to Ike Hilliard or Joey Galloway during training camp.
Relevant Articles
Email Update #57 - June 19thInterview With Jim Flynn: From The Pewter Report - June 19th
Deep Sea Fishing: Tampa Bay's WR2 - June 13th
2008 Schedule
| Week | Opponent |
|---|---|
| 1 | at New Orleans Saints |
| 2 | Atlanta Falcons |
| 3 | at Chicago Bears |
| 4 | Green Bay Packers |
| 5 | at Denver Broncos |
| 6 | Carolina Panthers |
| 7 | Seattle Seahawks |
| 8 | at Dallas Cowboys |
| 9 | at Kansas City Chiefs |
| Bye week | |
| 11 | Minnesota Vikings |
| 12 | at Detroit Lions |
| 13 | New Orleans Saints |
| 14 | at Carolina Panthers |
| 15 | at Atlanta Falcons |
| 16 | San Diego Chargers |
| 17 | Oakland Raiders |
2007 Game Summaries
Week 1 - Clayton was targeted just three times, catching one pass for 11 yards.
Week 2 - Clayton did not contribute in the box score, getting no targets for the game, but made a huge block on the Galloway 69 yard touchdown to help spring his teammate free. His absence in the offense is definitely a mystery, and it seems Ike Hilliard is doing just enough to keep Clayton behind him on the depth chart.
Week 3 - Clayton had just one catch for 12 yards, and dropped a ball on his only other target of the game that would have been a big gain. QB Jeff Garcia came right back to Clayton following the drop, and he came down with the 12 yard reception. Following the play, Garcia slapped Clayton in the helmet, possibly in an attempt to help his confidence. Clayton did not get any looks after that, and his absence in the offense continues.
Week 4 - Clayton caught one pass for 13 yards. His only other target was near the Carolina goal line. The pass was incomplete and the drive ended in a Tampa field goal.
Week 6 - Clayton was targeted three times in the game, catching two passes for 53 yards. He showed some of the skill that was there during his rookie season, but just doesn't seem to be involved much in the offensive scheme to make a big impact.
Week 11 - Clayton was active for the game, but was not targeted.
Week 12 - Clayton was not a factor in the game, getting one target and finishing without a reception.
Week 13 - Clayton did not register a catch, and did not receive a target, but had one rush for 20 yards. He was also used in the kick return game, and had a costly late hit penalty blocking downfield on a running play.
Week 14 - For the first time this year, Michael Clayton looked healthy. He totaled just four receptions for 39 yards, but when he did have the ball in his hands, he showed some of the playmaking ability that has been missing for a few years now. Clayton was targeted six times in the game with two third down targets.
Week 15 - Clayton was targeted three times and finished with two receptions for 22 yards. Clayton also had one rush for no gain.
Week 16 - Michael Clayton finished with five receptions for 71 yards, and was the most targeted Buccaneer receiver, getting a team high 12 looks. Clayton did drop a few passes, and more importantly, came down out of bounds on the potential game tying two point conversion attempt. While he made a few mistakes, he finally looked like something similar to the player he was as a rookie, and may have given the coaching staff a reason to have a little more confidence in him from here on out.
Week 17 - With Joey Galloway watching from the sidelines, Clayton was the most targeted Buccaneers receiver, getting eight looks as he finished with five receptions for 60 yards.
Week 18 - Clayton finished with three receptions for 39 yards on five targets. Two of his receptions resulted in Tampa Bay first downs, but one intended pass for Clayton was picked off by the Giants for one of their two interceptions.
