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NFL 30 to Watch: Maurice Stovall, Wide Receiver, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Aug 7, 2007 – 7:13 PM
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Michael David Smith

Michael David Smith %BloggerTitle%

A regular look at 30 people who will affect the 2007 NFL season.

In 2004, his rookie season, Tampa Bay wide receiver Michael Clayton looked like a future superstar.

Well, looks can be deceiving. Today it was revealed that Clayton isn't even a starter in Tampa Bay, as he's been passed on the depth chart by Maurice Stovall.

So who is Stovall? He's a 6-foot-5, 222-pound product of Notre Dame who caught just seven passes as a rookie last year, but Pro Football Prospectus 2007 describes him as "the perfect Jon Gruden receiver: a big target for hitches and smash routes who can also work the middle of the field and block a little."

That's exactly what Tampa Bay needs. Clayton has been a huge disappointment the last two seasons, but Stovall is a young talent on the rise.

Bottom line: Stovall hasn't done much in the NFL yet, but he will this year. He might just become Jeff Garcia's favorite receiver.

30 to Watch: See them all.
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