The Tampa Bay Buccaneers claimed wide receiver Jordan Shipley off waivers from the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday.
A third-round draft pick out of the University of Texas by the Bengals in 2010, Shipley caught 52 passes for 600 yards and three touchdowns as a rookie. Last season, Shipley had four receptions for 14 yards before tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
Shipley had only one reception for 4 yards in the Bengals' preseason opener, but he was placed on waivers last Friday. Shipley has two seasons remaining on his rookie contract.
The Buccaneers have a solid pair of starting receivers in Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams, but they could be looking for a spark out of the slot. Currently, Preston Parker and Sammie Stroughter are battling for that role. Through two preseason games Parker has one catch for 7 yards, while Stroughter's appearance on the stat sheet came when he fair-caught a punt.
Whether or not Shipley can be more of a factor out of the slot than Parker or Stroughter remains to be seen. It's also no slam dunk that 26-year-old Shipley can pass a physical, which will need to happen before he's allowed to set foot on the Bucs' practice field.
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