Pictures of the newest member of the Buccaneers, WR Cecil Shorts.
On Monday, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach Dirk Koetter said it was "no secret" that his team was a little light at the back end of the receiving corps. On Tuesday, the Buccaneers made a move to address that issue, signing sixth-year wideout Cecil Shorts. To make room on the 53-man roster, the team waived first-year wide receiver Evan Spencer.
The Buccaneers added a significant amount of NFL experience in the move, as Shorts has played in 61 games with 38 starts and recorded 218 receptions for 2,827 yards and 14 touchdowns. Most of that experience came with the Jacksonville Jaguars, who drafted the former Mount Union standout in the fourth round in 2011.
The Buccaneers' 53-Man roster.
3 - QB Jameis Winston
4 - QB Ryan Griffin
8 - QB Mike Glennon
9 - P Bryan Anger
10 WR Cecil Shorts
11 - WR Adam Humphries
13 - WR Mike Evans
19 - K Roberto Aquayo
21 - CB Alterraun Verner
22 - RB Doug Martin
23 - S Chris Conte
24 - CB Brent Grimes
26 - CB Josh Robinson
27 - CB Johnthan Banks
28 - CB Vernon Hargreaves
29 - DB Ryan Smith
30 - S Bradley McDougald
32 RB Jacquizz Rodgers
36 RB Antone Smith
37 - S Keith Tandy
38 - CB Jude Adjei-Barimah
43 RB Peyton Barber
45 TE Alan Cross
48 - LS Andrew DePaola
51 - LB Daryl Smith
52- LB Cameron Lynch
53 - LB Adarius Glanton
54 - LB Lavonte David
57 - DE Noah Spence
58 - LB Kwon Alexander
62 - OL Evan Smith
64 - OL Kevin Pamphile
66 - OT Leonard Wester
67 DT John Hughes III
68 - C Joe Hawley
69 - OT Demar Dotson
71 - DE Channing Ward
74 - G Ali Marpet
75 - DT DaVonte Lambert
76 - OT Donovan Smith
77 - OL Caleb Benenoch
78 - OT Gosder Cherilus
82 - TE Brandon Myers
83 - WR Vincent Jackson
84 - TE Cameron Brate
88 - TE Luke Stocker
89 - WR Russell Shepard Â
91 - DE Robert Ayers
92 - DE William Gholston
93 - DT Gerald McCoy
95 - DE Howard Jones
97 - DT Akeem Spence
98 - DT Clinton McDonald
Shorts joins a Buccaneer receiving corps headed by starters Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson. Second-year man Adam Humphries has locked down the slot receiver job, while Russell Shepard has mostly distinguished himself on special teams through his first three NFL seasons.
After playing sparingly for the Jaguars as a rookie, Shorts had a breakout campaign in 2012, catching 55 passes for 979 yards and a career-best seven touchdowns. His 17.9-yard average per reception ranked second in the NFL that season to the Buccaneers' Vincent Jackson (19.2). Shorts followed that with a career-high 66 grabs in 2013 and another 53 in 2014.
Last March, Shorts signed with the Houston Texans as an unrestricted free agent and he eventually played in 11 games with four starts, contributing 42 receptions. He was released by the Texans during last weekend's league-wide roster cuts and, as a vested veteran, did not have to pass through waivers. By choosing to sign with the Buccaneers, he is reunited with Head Coach Dirk Koetter, who was the Jaguars' offensive coordinator when he was drafted in 2011.
