"I have this demon in me, man," Clayton said, remembering the drop in the preseason opener last week. "It's so hard to see that ball coming, being in my situation, wanting to make a play. I was just being greedy. I take full blame for that, man. It won't happen again. I know things happen and people make their judgments and you just can't drop balls like that running wide open."

It was the final day of training camp at Disney's Wide World of Sports. Clayton, 25, was the last player off the field, having stretched, signed autographs and conducted drills for Special Olympians.

Clayton has dieted on white fish, chicken and broccoli to slim down to 208 pounds, his weight as a rookie, when he led all first-year pros with 80 receptions for 1,193 yards and seven touchdowns. Back then, he was the youngest player for a franchise in transition, the go-to receiver on a 5-11 team going nowhere.

But Clayton's path was clear. From the podium as a Rookie of the Year candidate, he could see Pro Bowls and Super Bowls. But that was before the demons and greed and injuries conspired to diminish his production and role in the Bucs' offense.

In the past three seasons combined, Clayton has caught 87 passes for 1,029 yards and one touchdown. At least he made that lone score count. It was a game-winning, 8-yard TD with 43 seconds left in the Bucs' 14-13 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. That was Oct. 15, 2006.

People are still making judgments on Clayton. He is in the final year of the contract he signed as a first-round pick from LSU, coming off a career-low 22 catches for 301 yards.

By all accounts, Clayton is having the best training camp of his life, even with the regrettable drop against the Dolphins. He recovered to make his second reception of the game and was open in the end zone in the second quarter when McCown sailed a pass over his head. But all anyone remembers is the drop.

"To be a championship team, you eliminate both of them," Clayton said. "Bottom line. You make the throw and catch. We're progressing to that. You work out the kinks the first game, now let's see what happens."

Entering tonight's game against the New England Patriots, Clayton is in a battle for the No. 2 receiver spot behind Joey Galloway. The competition has never been better at the position with Maurice Stovall, Antonio Bryant, Ike Hilliard, Paris Warren, Michael Spurlock and rookie Dexter Jackson all vying for playing time or perhaps just a spot on the roster.

"We just have a tough call. It's very tough," coach Jon Gruden said. "It's not that nobody has emerged, but they've all competed."

It's hard to believe Clayton is in his fifth pro season, but he's still a young player by any measure. "I'm 25. Still a young man," Clayton said. "Five years, man. That's why my body feels different now. I really feel like I'm in my prime now. And overall, more patient, faster. I'm growing stronger, mentally strong. It's the best of the best right now."

The knee, shoulder and ankle injuries that plagued him the last three seasons have finally healed. Of course, as long as Joey Galloway remains on the team, Clayton will never be the focus of the passing game.

"I think it's very important to be the guy on third down," Clayton said. "Every year, we see our offense developing and getting better. My second year, it didn't matter. It could've been my first year and Joey would've been the guy. That's how it was. I fell into that role due to injuries."