OT - Mark Clayton Retires

[elland]

As far as we know, his work ethic was never a question. Nor was his character. The question was his hands.

You can blame him for several things, not living up to our expectations, routerunning, durability.. I wonder if it would have been better for him if he was IRed in 2007..

Dropping here and there was and should not be the way to remember him. You migth remember him for that drop against Pats.. Me I take that reception when we were behind with a couple of TDs against the clowns in Flaccos rookie season.. (the second game) and he got that reception on forth Down and long.. Flaccos first big comeback game.. without that reception there would likely not had been POs that season.

First of all I am a little down on this pick because I believe it could have been so much more if the trend from 2005-6 continued..

[Lee Van Cleef]

Let's just remember him for this day, arguably his most amazing with the team:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAtqf5OGO4o

That one-handed grab was awesome. When it comes to Clayton, I remember that game more easily than I remember the drop in the Pats game.

[bacchys]

I liked him, he just was almost a duplicate of Mason without the resume'. 2 Mason's on the team weren't necessary or functional. He was having an outstanding beginning of the season that year in St. Louis and I felt really bad for him when he got injured.

I think that's an accurate description of his tenure here. I don't like to call him a bust. A wide-out isn't in control of his own destiny- someone has to throw him the ball. For whatever reason, Flacco didn't develop any trust in any receiver not named Mason or Heap his first two season. Whether it was Clayton, D.Williams, or whoever, he typically didn't throw to any receiver not at least 3 steps away from any defender except Mason and Heap. Since it's hard to get that wide open in the NFL, that meant there weren't a lot of opportunities for anyone not named Mason or Heap while Flacco was under center.

As for why, it's a chicken or egg argument, imo. Did they not produce because Flacco didn't trust them, or did Flacco not trust them because they didn't produce? I don't think anyone not on the team really knows. But Flacco has definitely grown in confidence and ability over the years, especially as evidenced by that game-winning drive in Pittsburgh where Smith caught the gamewinner with second left on the clock. Flacco famously told him to shake off an earlier drop in the end zone because he was going to back to Smith.

[bacchys]

That one-handed grab was awesome. When it comes to Clayton, I remember that game more easily than I remember the drop in the Pats game.

The hand-off to the official as he runs through the end zone after that catch was priceless....

[Raven Werewolf]

Maybe sounds like revisionists history but I never got what was so special about the guy at the time. I wasn't all that excited at all when we took him although he did fill a need and he was probably BPA at that spot. But I was hoping that James or Barron would've fell to us (not that they lit it up either. Actually much of that whole first round that year was pretty lousy.) I suppose he could've been better with the offensive scheme and coaches we have now but that's not here or there. From many accounts he did seem like a solid citizen so I'll wish him well and hope he enjoys his retirement.

[Raveninwoodlawn]

Maybe sounds like revisionists history but I never got what was so special about the guy at the time. I wasn't all that excited at all when we took him although he did fill a need and he was probably BPA at that spot. But I was hoping that James or Barron would've fell to us (not that they lit it up either. Actually much of that whole first round that year was pretty lousy.) I suppose he could've been better with the offensive scheme and coaches we have now but that's not here or there. From many accounts he did seem like a solid citizen so I'll wish him well and hope he enjoys his retirement.

I wasn't a fan of that pick either...but he was basically penciled in to us from the end of the 2004 season up until the 2005 draft. Also, posters on these boards were also in love with him...he had some good highlight films and there were many posters calling him things like the YAC king and things like that.

I know I just saw a small WR with no special/elite level ability. And I've always had the opinion that if you are going to have a short WR and have them work as a starter, they need to have a special skill or 2 and I never saw any of that.

Sucks that we took him ahead of Roddy White or Aaron Rogers.