As Jason Licht‘s staff has checked in again with a few notable re-signings this offseason, the veteran GM is getting into the news-breaking act regarding his latest. Sterling Shepard will stay in Tampa for another season, Licht announced.
Shepard rejoined former Oklahoma teammate Baker Mayfield last year, and the former injury-prone Giant played a supporting role during a season in which Chris Godwin and Mike Evans missed time. With Godwin coming back, Shepard will join him. It is a one-year deal that guarantees Shepard $500K and can max out at $2.25MM, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets.
The Bucs signed Shepard after the draft last year, bringing him in after Mayfield had reached out about the receiver’s interest in playing another season. Shepard enjoyed a bigger role than he had in his Giants finale, catching 32 passes for 354 yards and a touchdown. Coming off a 2022 Achilles tear, Shepard only caught 10 passes for 57 yards with the Giants after having re-signed with the team that drafted him. Shepard, 32, also has an ACL tear on his medical sheet.
Tampa Bay brought back Godwin on a three-year, $66MM deal. Godwin had said he turned down several million — ESPN indicated that number may have been as high as $30MM in total (via the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud). While it is not known if Godwin turned down a four-year offer for more nonguaranteed money — as it would be a bit difficult to imagine he passed on anything close to $30MM in additional guarantees — the Bucs have continually proven they can retain talent. Godwin and Shepard join stalwart linebacker Lavonte David, guard starter Ben Bredeson and rotational outside linebacker Anthony Nelson in re-signing this offseason.
Shepard has fallen off the pace he had been on during his early Giants years. Totaling at least 575 receiving yards each season from 2016-20, the former Odell Beckham Jr. New York sidekick has not eclipsed 375 in a season since. But the injury-prone slot target did help the Bucs while Godwin was on the shelf last year. He will attempt to do so again, most likely settling in as a No. 4 receiver for a team that saw promise from third-round rookie Jalen McMillan down the stretch last year. McMillan’s time as a top-two option is on hold, but the Bucs — who also roster former sixth-rounder Trey Palmer — have depth secured in Shepard.
Solid move, pretty reliable wr3
Giants thought he was finished. Buccaneers didn’t think so.
If Evans, Godwin, and Jmac stay healthy he is the 4. But Godwin needs to be preserved for a playoff run so Shep can come in for him and maybe Evans if his legs get issues.