Is It Possible To Rearchitect The Portlet Menu?

The clients on my project would like to use a single column layout for screens and have the header stretch the full width of the page. I can work the menu into the header as tabs but the concern I have is how to best allow for context specific functions that a user might need to link to on a given screen. I would like to build a function menu much like the portlet menu but

have it render from left to right across the header of the screen.

Just curious what others might have done or if anyone has suggestions on things to consider.

Thanks!

My first though would be a clip widget and let the controller or module define what the content should be.

Thanks Waterloomatt…food for thought!