“I will definitely test the market – without a doubt. Without a doubt,” Buccaneers wide receiver Michael Clayton said about his pending status as an unrestricted free agent in 2009.

After five years with the Buccaneers organization, the team’s first-round draft pick in 2004 will be eligible to hit the free agent market next March and Clayton is excited about the possibility of not only cashing in on a lucrative contract, but going to a place where he will be used more as a pass-catching receiver rather than as a blocker in the running game and a secondary option in the offense.

Clayton entered the league with a splash as a rookie in 2004, catching 80 passes for 1,193 yards and seven touchdowns, but has struggled mightily to live up to those numbers over the last four years. In 2005, Clayton hauled in 32 passes for 372 yards and no touchdowns as Joey Galloway emerged as Tampa Bay’s go-to receiver, recording 1,000-yard seasons in three straight years from 2005-07. In 2006, Clayton had 33 catches for 356 yards and one touchdown and followed that up with 22 catches for 301 yards. Dropped passes and injuries have played a big role in those limited numbers.

But this season, Clayton has been healthy and has still caught only 36 passes for 397 yards, and has not seen his status elevate within the offense. Instead of Galloway beating out Clayton for those pass-catching opportunities, it has been Antonio Bryant, who is Tampa Bay’s latest 1,000-yard receiver.

“I’ve definitely always felt that I could have been put in a better position to be a better player here – a more productive player,” Clayton said. “I don’t have any regrets. I have had numerous learning experiences here. Every coach in this league, I have never stepped on to the field without a coach coming to me saying that they respect the way that I play and they really enjoy watching me. Whether I am catching balls or anything, I know that I have respect across the league. That’s real important to me. It gives me a sense of comfort going into free agency and knowing that I will land in a place that wants me and we’ll go from there.

“We’ll hit free agency and we’ll see what happens. I’ve done a lot of time here. I’ve been here to be used. I really feel that my talents haven’t been utilized completely here. I don’t know the situation here. We’ll figure that out in a few weeks.”

Clayton saw the likes of wide receivers Javon Walker (six-year deal worth $55 million, Oakland) and Bernard Berrian (six-year deal with $16 million in guaranteed money, Minnesota) get big money deals in free agency last year despite having inconsistent seasons throughout their careers. The 26-year old LSU product is searching for a contract that will put him in that realm.

That might be wishful thinking for Clayton, whose production more resembles that of Chicago’s Brandon Lloyd and Philadelphia’s Hank Baskett than Bryant’s and Cincinnati’s T.J. Houshmanzadeh, who figure to be the two most sought after receivers in free agency in 2009.

“I feel like I have really done my part here,” Clayton said. “Whether my career will continue in Tampa, I don’t know. That’s just one thing that is going to wait. We’ll hit free agency and see what happens.

“This is my first time in it, so I’m definitely going to make the right decision and plan it. I’ve got a lot of experts out there that I have gained information from. I know exactly how to go about the process. This is my first time, so we’ll see how it goes.”

Clayton admitted the fact that Tampa Bay has not even approached him about a contract extension has made the situation awkward at One Buccaneer Place.

“Yeah, it’s a little awkward,” Clayton said. “I’ve put in a lot of time here and it’s coming down to the last days, you don’t know. I haven’t heard anything … and then putting that in perspective. That’s got to mean something. You just try to keep the best attitude you can. You keep the focus at hand, and that’s making it to the playoffs. We have to handle our job and that’s the most important thing right now. It overshadows everything else that is going on in my career now. My mindset will change in a couple of weeks. We’ll see what happens.

“I have mixed feelings a little bit. Like I said, I haven’t heard anything. So that’s definitely not the first thought that is crossing my mind entering the last game of the season. It’s all good. I’ve done my part and I have a smile on my face and I’m excited for me and my family going into this situation knowing that I’ve put my best foot forward every time I have stepped onto the field. I’ve better myself. I feel good about what I’ve done here and my situation as an NFL player. … I feel like what I have put on tape really puts me in a situation to be one of the top guys in free agency next year, hopefully, and to go out and get a decent deal.”

It will be interesting to see how NFL teams judge Clayton’s production over the past four years in which he has only produced one touchdown. Clayton defended his lack of production on Wednesday, bringing up his injuries, the litany of quarterbacks he’s played with during his five years in Tampa Bay and his diminished opportunities.

“We’ve been through a lot,” Clayton said. “We’ve had a lot of injuries here. I’ve had seven quarterbacks throw to me. That’s just how it falls. When you take into that account being a competitor, you want to be out there making plays. Definitely coming off the season where I caught 80 balls, and never been able to get that amount of attempts speaks for itself. Given the situation as an athlete and a professional, you handle it the most positive way that you can. You play hard every play. God takes care of his children.”

Despite the lack of production, Clayton said he and head coach Jon Gruden, who has been hard on the 6-foot-4 wide receiver during his tenure in Tampa Bay, have never had a falling out.

“No. Never,” Clayton said. “We have a great relationship – a coach-and-player relationship. He’s always asked the best out of me. He’s a guy that I respect and I’ve learned from here. Being put into situations where I’ve been banged up – all of that plays a part in what they allow me to do. As a player I understand that, but I don’t have the hammer. I don’t have any control over that. They only thing I can control is what I can control.”

Although Clayton does want the opportunity to catch more passes in the future, he isn’t completely ruling out a return to Tampa Bay as long as the price is right and he gets some kind of assurances that his pass-catching ability will be fully utilized.

“Not at all,” Clayton said. “I’ve got a large support system here and a lot of fans. I love this city. There’s definitely no case where you would rule it out. But the focus is winning this football game and we’ll go from there.

“It would be a good situation as my family has settled here. I’ve been a quiet guy. I’ve been through a lot here and I’ve played hard. It’s just a situation where I have to make the best decision for my family. We’ll take it from there.”

Clayton was surely talking as if Sunday could be his last game in Tampa Bay.

“Every game is a resume´ and I have one more opportunity to show the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that I want to be here and deserve to be here and to be paid for what I do,” Clayton said.

The departure of Clayton would surely be lessened if Tampa Bay can re-sign Bryant, who leads the team with 80 catches for 1,171 yards and seven touchdowns. Bryant, who signed a one-year, $605,000 league minimum deal in 2008 after missing the 2007 season due to injury and a four-game NFL suspension, is expected to be one of the most sought after wide receivers in free agency next year.

But right now, Bryant is focused on making the playoffs first, and that means beating Oakland on Sunday and then rooting for the Eagles to beat the Dallas Cowboys in Philadelphia at 4:15 p.m. ET.

“I’m trying to go to the playoffs. That’s all I can control right now,” Bryant said. “All of the other stuff I don’t control. I don’t sign checks – I just cash them. I’m just trying to play ball and get us to the playoffs. There are a lot of scenarios. I would hate to be at home watching a team that I know we’re probably better than go and make a run and go all the way. That wouldn’t be fun. Not for me.

“We’re just playing football. My main focus is just playing football and Dallas getting their butts whipped and let’s keep the ball rolling. That’s my only focus. I’m glad that it is brought down to the smallest scenario – win and Dallas gets their butt whipped. Then we’re rolling.”

After Tampa Bay’s season concludes, Bryant will focus on his pending payday, which should be large given the type of season he’s put up for the Buccaneers.

“My first time going into free agency I felt like there were a couple guys that came with much better situations than me that weren’t better than me – still to this day better than me,” Bryant said. “It’s a reality. At the end of the day, numbers don’t lie. Film don’t lie. If I did something wrong, I hope people stop trying to use the same excuses and just do the right thing and allow me to play good football.”

Sources tell Pewter Report that in order to keep him the Buccaneers may have to place the franchise tag on Bryant, which would make him one of the league’s top 5 highest-paid receivers. The 2008 franchise number for wide receivers was $7.84 million per season. On Wednesday, Bryant indicated that he is certainly open to returning to Tampa Bay.

“That’s my mentality,” Bryant said. “I am a Buccaneer. That’s how I am approaching it. I have no other way to do it.”

Tampa Bay’s passing game would take a hit if another offensive playmaker like tight end Jerramy Stevens departed via free agency. Stevens, who has signed a one-year, league-minimum deal in each of the past two seasons as he works towards rehabilitating his image in the NFL, is looking for a multi-year contract from the Buccaneers – or another team – at market value. Stevens told PewterReport.com that he is anxiously awaiting free agency to gauge his value.

“I would like to re-sign, but first and foremost, I need to go out there and see what I have on the market,” Stevens said. “I put together some pretty good years with the role I’ve been asked to play. I would like to stay here, but I have to make sure I go out there and get my market value. The best case scenario would be for me to stay here, but I have to see what’s out there.”

Stevens has 34 catches for 369 yards and two touchdowns this season after catching 18 passes for 189 yards and four scores a year ago. He has been very appreciative to Gruden and general manager Bruce Allen for taking a chance on him when most NFL teams chose not to get involved with a player with a past full of alcohol-related arrests and transgressions. To his credit, Stevens has been a model citizen in Tampa Bay and a great teammate on the field and in the locker room.

“It’s been great,” Stevens said of his time as a Buccaneer. “Gruden and I have had a great relationship from the jump. I’ve been honest with him from the jump, as well as Bruce Allen and the Glazers. It’s been great coming here and having an opportunity to be myself and not get judged on what people might have read in the paper, but take me for who I am. I’ve really appreciated that.”

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