Don’t Sleep On David Gettis
July 10th, 2014
Scott Smith claims David Gettis could be a sleeper candidate to become one of the “Dunkaneers.”
A lot has been made of the “Dunkaneers,” the tall guys on offense who are expected to go up and snatch the ball. Receivers Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans along with tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins could be a front line for a top-notch college basketball team the way they can sky and fight.
But from the keyword of Buccaneers.com multimedia maven Scott Smith, a guy the Bucs signed late last month shouldn’t fly under the radar.
Former Panthers wide receiver David Gettis has largely had an injury-plagued season. If healthy, Smith believes Gettis could “surprise” and make the final 53-man roster and give quarterback Josh McCown yet another big target.
One suspects that Gettis is using this off time before training camp to mainline the team’s offensive playbook, because if he can start camp on an equal footing he should have a very real chance to stick around. There’s no real reason to get overly excited about the 26-year-old wideout, but at the same time there’s no real reason to dismiss his chances. After presumptive starters Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans, the Bucs’ receiving corps is wide open. Like, Grand Canyon-wide open. The Bucs will likely keep five receivers, maybe six, and if you think you can name those five (or six) with near certainty, you’re a better fan than me.
I personally think that Robert Herron is the strongest remaining bet after Jackson and Evans, and I know that Chris Owusu and Louis Murphy have had strong offseasons. In fact, that could be your five right there, but then you’re saying no to Lavelle Hawkins, Eric Page, Skye Dawson, Russell Shepard and others. With all of that, where does Gettis fit in?
Well… I don’t know. But he’s big (6-3, 220) and apparently healthy after years of struggling with injuries, and he had a really nice rookie season with Carolina in 2010. I know that there are stories like that in every training camp, and they don’t guarantee anything, but I can’t help thinking that if nobody really blows the doors off this thing, Gettis will have a chance to sneak in. Remember, we’re talking “surprises” here, not likelihoods.
The key here is staying healthy. For reasons no one knows, some guys are just simply injury-prone. It’s really difficult to improve your game and gel with a team off the practice field and in the trainer’s room.
There are a lot of really, really talented players who didn’t do squat in the NFL because they couldn’t stay healthy. Currently, Gettis is among them. He actually started 13 games in 2010, averaging 13.7 yards a catch. Not too shabby. (Some guy named Benn had similar size, numbers and injuries but was drafted four rounds higher that year.)
If Gettis can survive training camp without having to visit a doctor, perhaps he could be an overlooked member of the “Dunkaneers.”
July 10th, 2014 at 12:30 pm
The magic 8 ball came up with ‘doubtful’ on this guy staying healthy, so I’ll go with that scientific reasoning 🙂
July 10th, 2014 at 12:31 pm
I’d happily say no to saying no to Lavelle Hawkins, Eric Page, Skye Dawson, and Russell Shepard. And I’m pretty sure no one else is desperate enough for help to sign any of them once they get cut.
July 10th, 2014 at 12:46 pm
I’m expecting quite a few surprises myself. We shall see.
July 10th, 2014 at 1:08 pm
Heron will be on the roster unless he turns into butterfingers during preseason, simply because he was drafted by this staff. I am not sold on any of the other receivers except Page who can do returns.
July 10th, 2014 at 1:40 pm
Outside the top three, tell me which will perform best on special teams and I will tell you who makes the roster.
Pretty simple.
July 10th, 2014 at 1:45 pm
Joe, I know you think many of is are incompetent idiots when we tell you about redirects, game pop ups and the likes on your site. It is not an everyday thing but it goes in waves. It took me four tries to post this comment. I love your site but it gets are with parasites at times. We went a few years with no problems but something has changed. Hopefully you GAF and now it seems fine. lol
This guy will stay on the roster through camp just long enough to learn the playbook. Then the Panthers or Saints will sign him for intel.
July 10th, 2014 at 2:59 pm
@Toes- Did you have to pull apart the beaded curtain and turn on your lava lamp to find your magic 8-ball?!
Hopefully the cream will rise to the top and the decision will be an easy one.
July 10th, 2014 at 3:53 pm
Ha Bucsfanman I think it was covered by a Slinky and black light Led Zep poster as well 🙂
July 10th, 2014 at 4:28 pm
6’3 for me is the minimum for an outside receiver UNLESS they are just a solid burner. Slot guys obviously you want the shift little might mouse type dude, but I like the guys that are coming to training camp. Julio Jones 6’3 220, Jordy nelson 6’3 220 Brandon marshal 6’3 230. Guys that can win 1 on 1 match ups the majority of the time. Crap this offseason needs to end!
July 10th, 2014 at 9:56 pm
Can’t wait to see the receiving group. Curious to see the first three picks in preseason action.
July 10th, 2014 at 11:31 pm
What speed and agility does Gettis have? Is he smart enough to learn the playbook quickly?
What were his stats playing special teams with Charlotte? How are his hands? What is his drop ratio to catches? How well is he in running routes? Does he get spooked over the middle with a hard hitting Safety about to load up for a big hit? I have too little info to evaluate his chances. Any of our bloggers with info?
July 11th, 2014 at 4:32 pm
As a rookie he had 500+ yds receiving on a team with Jimmy Clausen and Matt Moore as his QBs. If he is healthy and in shape, logically he must have a spot on the active roster.