The Buccaneers first round draft choice raised eyebrows when they added to their strengths while ignoring other positions of need, now finding themselves in an interesting situation
Sterling Shepard could lose his spot with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a move that wouldn’t please Baker Mayfield
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers could be forced into cutting one of Baker Mayfield‘s close friends in Sterling Shepard after their offseason moves, reports have suggested.
Buccaneers fans were hoping to see the team add a pass-rusher or off-ball linebacker in the draft to a roster with not too many holes. Instead, they selected Emeka Egbuka from Ohio State – a pure slot receiver – playing a position at which they are currently stacked. Tampa Bay already has Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, two of the better receivers in the league, while drafting Jalen McMillan in the third round of the previous draft. The Buccaneers went on to draft Tez Johnson, who is Bo Nix’s adopted brother, who could also be a starter from the slot.
That could leave Shepard, a reliable receiver who has produced every year he’s played, on the outside looking in, with reports suggesting he could be cut.
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Shepard was brought to the Buccaneers last season after spending eight seasons with the New York Giants, scoring 23 touchdowns while averaging over 550 yards a year.
In joining Tampa Bay, he reunited with Mayfield, with whom he played in college football, where he had been his leading receiver in his Heisman Trophy-winning season.
Shepard signed a one-year deal
Mayfield recruited him to Tampa Bay after he left the Giants, where he had a limited role due to the sheer number of receivers the Bucs had. Still, he managed to register 401 yards and a touchdown.
The Buccaneers will almost certainly give the starting roles to Evans, Godwin, and Egbuka, while wanting to give Johnson an opportunity alongside McMillan to be the backup. They may only carry these five wide receivers on the roster, suggesting Shepard could be the one to miss out.
Tampa Bay had been strongly rumored to be drafting Jihaad Campbell in the first round, but a torn labrum saw him fall down the board, eventually landing with the Philadelphia Eagles with the 31st pick.
Emeka Egbuka is likely to be the Bucs starting slot receiver
They then selected cornerbacks with back-to-back picks, bringing in Notre Dame standout Benjamin Morrison and Kansas State’s Jacob Parrish. They did not select a linebacker in the draft.
Mayfield will welcome Ebguka joining the team though, on the back of one of the best seasons of his career to date, throwing 41 touchdowns.
The former number one overall pick had been cut from three teams before joining the Bucs, before impressing in 2023 and signing a $100 million deal to be their long-term quarterback.
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