TAMPA, Fla. -- With the clock ticking, Tampa Bay defensive end Adrian Clayborn doesn’t know if the Buccaneers will pick up his fifth-year option.
"You guys know anything?" Clayborn said when asked by the media if he’d heard anything about his future.
The Bucs have been silent on Clayborn's situation so far, but the deadline to exercise the option is coming in early May. Clayborn remains under contract for 2014, but the Bucs have to decide if they want to pick up the option for 2015.
"They’ll tell me when it’s time," Clayborn said. "Either way, it works out for itself. I still have to have a good year."
That’s a healthy attitude for Clayborn to take. With a strong season, Clayborn can write his own ticket as a free agent if the Bucs don’t pick up the option.
A first-round pick in 2011, Clayborn has had an up and down three seasons. He started off well, recording 7.5 sacks as a rookie. But he suffered a knee injury early in his second season. Clayborn returned last season, but didn’t have the impact he would have liked.
With a new coaching staff, Clayborn is confident he can put his career back on an upward swing.
"It’s been a rough two years for me with me being hurt and then last year not playing the way I wanted to," Clayborn said. "I feel like, with this system, it’s really prime for me to have a good year. It’s up to me to make it happen."