If wide receiver Michael Clayton can come through for the Bucs this season, general manager Mark Dominik will have plenty of reasons to smile

Some of the moves first-year general manager Mark Dominik has made in opening weeks have opened Joe’s eyes. First there was throwing away a second round pick for Sgt. Winslow and then compounding the move with a massive contract before Sgt. Winslow ever took a snap.

Then there was the re-signing of wide receiver Michael Clayton, who many felt the Bucs should have let walk away.

The result, claims Dan Parr of ProFootballWeekly.com, is that both Clayton and Dominik’s reputations are very much on the line this season.

Many were surprised when the Buccaneers gave $10.5 million in guaranteed money to WR Michael Clayton in the new deal he received at the start of free agency. It has led to high expectations for Clayton, as he gets a fresh start under new head coach Raheem Morris after falling out of favor with Jon Gruden, but it also created immediate scrutiny for GM Mark Dominik in the early stages of his tenure. Clayton will be expected to rise to the occasion while defenses are preoccupied with covering No. 1 WR Antonio Bryant and TE Kellen Winslow, which should leave Clayton in plenty of one-on-one coverage. Gruden lost confidence in Clayton as he faltered in the seasons since his rookie year, and Clayton appeared to lose faith in himself. With a more supportive coaching staff and almost no competition for the role as No. 2 receiver, Clayton has been handed an opportunity to get his once-promising career back on track.

Joe and fellow Bucs fans will find out if re-signing Clayton at his price was smart. While Clayton is a great blocker, let’s not fool ourselves: the main element a wide receiver has to do is catch balls. Clayton won’t be able to blame his drops on Chucky any longer. If he comes through, he will be a stud.

But it concerns Joe that there is so much chatter coming out of One Buc Palace about the Bucs looking for washed up or gun-toting wide receivers.