The Buccaneers have signed veteran wide receiver Sterling Shepard to a one-year contract, Mike Garafolo reports. NFL Network. Tampa Bay continues to add depth at the position by signing Cody Thompson last night.
of #Buccaneers According to sources, the team has agreed to terms with veteran wide receiver Sterling Shepard on a one-year contract.
Over eight seasons #GiantsShepard was reunited in Tampa with Baker Mayfield, his former quarterback at Oklahoma who drafted him in the second round in 2016. pic.twitter.com/ENUmPHSDUM
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) June 6, 2024
Shepard is an eight-year veteran who has played his entire career with the New York Giants. He has appeared in 90 career games, catching 372 yards for 4,095 yards and 23 touchdowns. He had a career-high eight touchdowns as a rookie in 2016. Shepard’s best overall season was in 2018, when he had 66 catches for 872 yards and four touchdowns. He also has playoff experience, having appeared in three games.
Shepard reunites with Oklahoma teammate Baker Mayfield
Shepard and Quarterback Baker Mayfield The two were teammates at Oklahoma, where Shepard played from 2012-15 and Mayfield from 2014-17. Mayfield was ineligible after transferring in 2014, so the two only played one season together in 2015, two years before Mayfield won the Heisman Trophy.
Shepard was named to the All-Big 12 First Team twice, in 2014 and 2015, earning that honor in one season with Mayfield. The two had a great year together, with Shepard finishing with 86 catches for 1,288 yards and 11 touchdowns. Mayfield owed much of his success to Shepard, as he passed for 3,700 yards and 36 touchdowns.
Oklahoma went 11-2 that season and won the Big 12 Championship, but lost to Clemson in the Orange Bowl.
Where Sterling Shepard fits with the Buccaneers
The move is low risk and high reward for the Buccaneers. Shepard adds a veteran to the wide receiver corps outside of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. He is the most proven of the other players competing for a roster spot and is more proven than some of the other veteran receivers Tampa Bay has acquired in years.
Being friends and former teammates with Baker Mayfield is an added bonus. It’s always good to have a quarterback happy, and he probably wouldn’t mind having a familiar face nearby. There won’t be high expectations for Shepard and this team, and there’s no guarantee he’ll be successful.
Shepard has had a solid career, but was severely limited last season with 10 receptions for 57 yards and one touchdown. This may be because he tore his ACL after just three games last season and wasn’t able to fully acclimate as quickly as other players. Coming to Tampa Bay and reuniting with Mayfield could be a way for him to regain some of the momentum he has left.
With at least four guys at the top of the receiver depth chart, Shepard will be competing with multiple receivers for one or two spots, but his experience will provide value and the Buccaneers could find a spot for him.