Amidst all the Bucs roster cuts over the past 24 hours, one of the more notable names in this year’s camp has just been released by Tampa Bay. According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Bucs are letting go of veteran wide receiver Sterling Shepard, who was just brought in during the team’s mandatory mini-camp in the summer.

Timeline For Sterling Shepard With Bucs

Bucs WR Sterling Shepard – Photo by: Cliff Welch P/R

Sterling Shepard was signed by the Bucs in June as he participated in mandatory mini-camp, although he was just getting his legs under him. He seemed like a fit for Tampa Bay as they were looking for more veteran depth to fill out the receiver room.

The biggest bonus and overall appeal of Shepard coming to Tampa was his relationship with quarterback with Baker Mayfield, as the two were teammates for a season at the University of Oklahoma. It was a phone call from Mayfield as well that convinced Shepard to come workout for the Bucs over the summer.

As training camp went on, Shepard was in the mix with the other receivers looking for a roster spot behind Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan. Unfortunately, Shepard was sidelined on August 6 with a rib injury, and didn’t make a return until August 20 where he participated in a very limited capacity wearing a non-contact jersey.

With Shepard out for several weeks, this allowed Trey Palmer to find his footing and be a top-four receiver. It also gave many opportunities to Cody Thompson and undrafted free agent Kameron Johnson, who were standouts during training camp at the position. Shepard missed the entire preseason as a result of his injury.

Considering the team was – at best – going to keep six receivers, it would’ve been difficult for Shepard to crack the active roster since he was out for almost a month.

Putting Sterling Shepard On The Practice Squad Makes Perfect Sense

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield and WR Sterling Shepard – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The good news for Sterling Shepard is that Ian Rapoport also said in his report that the Bucs are holding a practice squad spot for him if he clears waivers, so he could be back in Tampa Bay as one of 16 practice squad players. This always made the most sense to have Shepard as a practice squad player rather try to stash someone like Kameron Johnson on that area when another team could sign him at any moment.

Plus, Johnson and Cody Thompson have played on special teams with Johnson as a kick returner and Thompson on coverage teams. Shepard is not involved in those parts of the game.

By keeping Johnson on the roster, the Bucs secure the fact that the promising, electric rookie receiver will stay in Tampa Bay. Shepard, who is 31 years old and has been oft-injured in recent years, was signed in June and doesn’t have as much of a market. If he’s on the practice squad he can still be a veteran presence and mentor for a younger group and be fresh if he needs to be called up for the active roster.

Remember, Shepard had torn ACL injury in 2022 and saw a major drop off in his production last season in 2023 with the Giants as he returned to the lineup. Shepard is already dealing with an undisclosed injury for the 2024 season, so limiting his usage may be best for everyone involved. We don’t know just yet if Shepard will be needed, but it’s good to keep him around while also not taking up a roster spot.

Baker Mayfield will still have a familiar face around and the Bucs put the best options forward in their receiving room, which gets younger with rookies like Johnson and Jalen McMillan. Shepard gets to stay in the NFL with the chance to help out in spot situations while keeping his body fresh for when he’s called upon like veteran David Moore did a year ago down the stretch. Injuries occur every week in the NFL and Tampa Bay has seen how important depth can be at every position.