The New York Giants will sign free agent wide receiver Michael Clayton to a one-year contract, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports.

The Giants, who will be without starting wide receivers Hakeem Nicks (leg) and Steve Smith (pectoral) for the next few weeks, worked Clayton out on Tuesday morning.

Chosen with the 14th overall pick of the 2004 NFL Draft out of LSU by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the 6-4, 215-pound Clayton caught 80 passes for 1,193 yards and 7 touchdowns in his rookie season.

Clayton could not replicate that production over the next five seasons, catching 141 passes for 1,749 yards and 3 touchdowns over the next 68 games, maxing out at 38 receptions for 484 yards in 2008.

The Buccaneers released Clayton on September 4.

Clayton has been playing for the Omaha Nighthawks of the UFL.

Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News reports the Giants won't be subject to the upstart league's $150,000 transfer fee because Clayton was not on a UFL roster for four weeks.