Tampa Bay Buccaneers sign David Gettis
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed David Gettis on Tuesday after the former Carolina Panthers wideout impressed at minicamp last week, reports Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times. He will compete for one of the spots on the roster behind Vincent Jackson, Mike Evans and Robert Herron.
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Gettis, 26, was drafted by the Panthers in the sixth round of the 2010 draft out of Baylor. Measuring at 6’3 and 220 pounds, he’s always brought good size to the position and won multiple high school state titles as a sprinter in California, but injuries over the past three years have prevented him from consistently playing.
As a rookie, Gettis looked highly promising in Carolina, catching 37 passes for 508 yards and three touchdowns while starting 13 of 15 games. At that point, it appeared the Panthers might finally have a new partner to line up across from Steve Smith, but things would quickly fall apart.
Before the 2011 season, Gettis suffered a torn ACL and missed the entire year. Once that healed up, persistent hamstring issues sidelined Gettis for most of the 2012-13 seasons. Since that exciting rookie year, Gettis has played in just two NFL games and caught zero passes.
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It appears Tampa Bay liked what it saw from Gettis after a tryout during the team’s minicamp last week, though. The Buccaneers don’t have a shortage of guys trying to make the roster at wide receiver, with Auman listing nine other guys who are competing against Gettis for just two or three open spots, but most of those players don’t have his upside.
Adding Gettis’ combination of size and athleticism to the mix could certainly be a boost as defensive-minded coach Lovie Smith starts to make his mark on the roster. Much of it likely centers on the wide receiver’s health, which has long been the big issue.