Clayton to visit Lions, Seahawks

The Bucs had better move fast if they want to keep receiver Michael Clayton.

According to agent Bill Johnson, Clayton begins his visits today in Detroit and also will meet with the Seattle Seahawks.

"Indeed, he's emerged as a coveted commodity and I'm getting substantive interest from multiple teams,'' Johnson said. "If the Bucs are genuinely interested in keeping Michael, then they'd better put their best foot forward.''

Clayton would perfer to remain in Tampa Bay and might even take a little less to do so. But rest assured if he makes it to Seattle, there's a very good possibility he becomes a Seahawk. There are a few other undisclosed teams who have expressed an interest, including the Vikings.

Clayton has carved out a decent market as a free agent, despite catching just two touchdown passes since his rookie season. The Lions and Seahawks know the parameters of any deal for Clayton includes $10-million guaranteed and an average salary of about $5-million per year.

 

Comments

[tbbuc99]

WHAT! Give me a freaking break! "Their best foot forward."? Are you kidding me? Let him go! If his agent and him think he is anything special that the Bucs need to bid war for him, get lost! Clayton has had what 4 seasons to show what he can do? After year 1 he has done NOTHING and he was paid well to do NOTHING! Save your money Bucs and sign another free agent WR and you'll have spent wisely.

[conradbuff]

for those interested in keeping clayton dont worry im %95 sure these other teams will offer less than what the bucs have already proposed he cant seriously be expecting a huge payday maybe between 1.5-2.5 mil a year which is what was reportedly already offered by the bucs

[Stacy]

This a typical Lawyer/Agent posturing move. If he wants to go to Detroit or Seattle, let him.

[DeathMetalShawn]

No tears shed here if Clayton bolts. For all the great catches and killer blocks, there were even more dropped passes and fundamental breakdowns.

[OAR]

DR-flip , your boy is gonna be a Lion I bet. I hear they need some blockers.
Man I bet the Bucs are shaken in their boots over this, give me a break.

[IMISS_No47]

The Lions love our left-overs!

[Brad Igar]

Ummmm, yeah.
If Clayon wants to stay in Tampa maybe he just put his best catch forward. Ooops, dropped that one too. Daaaamn.

[Brad Igar]

Oops, looks like I dropped the "t" in Clayton. Dropped, ROFLMAO, I guess I really don't need to finish that joke...

[Erick]

Yeah, I would have laughed if I was in the room when his agent said that. Clayton is good, but he is not needed here if he wants to 'test the market'. Wouldn't mind seeing him back but not at any exorbitant cost.

[ty guy]

Don't bag on Clayton. The guy is a baller and always tries. Unfortunately he drops passes too but he is a very physical reciever that can obviously produce when given a chance. I still want to see Nate Washington or Michael Jenkins come to Tampa but I wouldn't mind seeing Clayton in the mix as well at all.

[Oldcrank]

I'd like to see him back but he needs to work on his skill-set. Now if he opts to go to Detroit,then he also needs a shrink exam. Even GM can't succeed there.

[Stacy]

Is Jenkins avail? I wouldn't mind Washington, Jenkins, Boldin (although I hear he now is considering staying in AZ - again), or jsut about any other WR we can get to act as a #1 or 2.

[Steven]

This is BIG news for Lions fans...

[skp]

if the money is within 20% i just can't see him jumping to move across the country to play on similarly troubled franchises...with bryant and winslow here, our #2 and #3 WRs will share about 60 catches, i'm not too worried about clayton and would prefer a burner opposite bryant with a clayton-type possession guy as a slot\situational player

[Robert]

If Clayton signs with the lions he does not care at all about his NFL future. Any MORON who signs with this team deserves what they are going to get. The LIONS are and will be the laughing stock of the league for years to come. BUCS need to tell his agent he can sign with the LIONS and then see what kind of comment he has for the team.

[Noel (Bahamas)]

What may pan out is that Dexter Jackson actually may be able to learn the new playbook whereas he did not dent the Gruden playbook. How about him as a burner. Bryant, Nate Washington, D. Jax with Alex Smith & Kellen Winslow as TE, Graham and Clifton Smith as backs. Sounds formidable. (if D. Jax can catch?)

[Stacy]

D-Jax can catch, at least kickoffs. He just can't seem to take more than 3 steps w/o falling down. Hey, that sounds like my drunk uncle....Wait did I just say that?

[DR]

Heck, what do you know, another dumb comment by oar. This is free agency. If Clayton and his agent are being honest, they will go to these teams and see what the offer is and then see if the Bucs are willing to match or better the offer. That is what the Bucs want him to do. They couldn't sign a guy not really knowing what his value is. The free agency market will set a value for them.
Going to the lions is not a bad option for Clayton. He will play with the GREAT talent in Calvin Johnson who will be double teamed all the time. They can't get any worse so if the Lions go 1-15 next year, they improved! LOL!

[DeathMetalShawn]

Has anyone else, besides me, become tired of hearing the buzzword-of-the-year (namely, the word 'skillset')???

[Harvey Arndt]

Even if the Bucs can not sign another free agent, please do not sign Clayton, a undrafted guy could do as well and have more upside. Hope someone else signs him

[Willycp]

Don't let the door hit ya on the way out!

[niko houllis]

Which sounds like the bigger surprise...
1)Clayton resigns and has a very good year
2)Clayton goes to another team, and has a very good year...

Which one shocks you more?
I say bring him back. He obviously not getting balls thrown his way, and needs to work on drops, which may be a result of not having your head in the game from all the doghouse/politics that seems to have gone on around here under Jon Gruden; see Charles Lee.

[Roddy Piper]

The plan at 1 Suc Place is to trade all the draft picks away so they dont have to sign any rookies to any guaranteed money deals. We have dumb and dumber running the show. They make Gruden and Allen look like certified rocket surgeons! Good thing they wasted a 2nd and a 5th on Winslow when they could have gotten Cassel and Vrabel for just the 2nd! Morons. This stinks of Glazer Poo. Those greedy fools are destroying the franchise just to suck cash out of it to pay for ManU. It's obvious now that buying the Bucs and paying to make them contenders was a short term strategy for them to have a means of making more money with a bigger investment for the long term. We as fans deserve better and should boycot the Bucs to prove the point: angry fans = less profit!