"It wasn't long ago that receiver Antonio Bryant was the Buccaneers' most feared offensive player.

In 2008 he caught practically every pass, racked up yards after his catches and was the focal point of each offensive game plan.

This was to be the season Bryant made 2008 seem routine. Yet days before the final game of a lost season, Bryant sits with less than half of the receptions and yards he had one year ago, the result of a gimpy knee and a sometimes directionless offense.

What's more, Bryant faces free agency in the offseason with nary a clue whether the Bucs intend to re-sign him after designating him their franchise player for 2009.

"Nothing is guaranteed," he said. "I pray next year comes and it's a good year and I can just go out there healthy. If not here, then it'll be somewhere."

This is what Bryant, 28, feared could happen when he stood his ground during the offseason and demanded a long-term contract extension. The team opted for the franchise-player designation at a $9.88 million price tag, but that was only a one-year guarantee."