The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed free agent wide receiver Cecil Shorts III on Tuesday and waived wide receiver Evan Spencer.
Advertisement
Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter was the Jags offensive coordinator from 2007 through 2011, and he overlapped with Shorts during his rookie season.
The former Texans and Jaguars receiver was released by Houston last weekend after restructuring his contract this offseason to remain with the team. The team voted on the captains after the 53-man roster was finalized on Saturday.
Shorts, a 6-foot, 202-pounder, could play inside in the slot for the Bucs or outside, and could factor in the return game. Starting fast this year would be key, especially after last year’s season-opening debacle against Tennessee. Shorts has started 38 games and played in 61 over his career, catching a total of 218 passes for 2,827 passes and 14 touchdowns.
The Bucs had depth concerns entering the preseason, and injuries added to that.
Advertisement
He has enjoyed some productive campaigns despite that, though, particularly in 2012 with the Jacksonville Jaguars, when he made 55 catches for 979 yards and seven touchdowns. His average of 17.8 yards per catch was the second-best in the National Football League, trailing only the Bucs’ Jackson.
