Todd Bowles Wants Sterling Shepard Back
August 27th, 2024
Veteran WR Sterling Shepard just became a free agent.
This afternoon at One Buc Palace, head coach Todd Bowles confirmed that the Bucs want veteran receiver Sterling Shepard to stick with the team — even though he was just cut.
Shepard passed the eye test in training camp running as a versatile slot receiver. The problem was, the former beloved Eli Manning target couldn’t stay healthy.
“Early on, he showed a lot,” Bowles said today with a hint of pain in his voice. “Then he got injured, missed a lot of time. And that, obviously, has to weight in on it. Hopefully, we can get him back in some capacity because when he was fresh and he was good, he made a lot of plays.”
The interesting factor to Shepard is him saying publicly that he didn’t retire because his good friend and former college teammate Baker Mayfield asked him to sign with the Bucs. So it seems the Bucs hold leverage on Shepard.
If he wants to stay with the team, he could be signed to the practice squad, where the maximum salary is about $21,000 per week. There, he can get healthy and wait for an injury, or for a rookie to disappoint.
Joe suspects that Bucs fans very soon will find out if Shepard has no interest in that kind of easy money.
August 27th, 2024 at 12:41 pm
He’s a little too injury prone. I’d rather have Noah Brown who is younger and cooked the Bucs secondary last season.
August 27th, 2024 at 12:44 pm
Time to play the health card. Cut JTS and Logan Hall. They are both the bottom of the roster.
August 27th, 2024 at 1:14 pm
idk Biff, Hall looks like he actually might turn into a player (fingers crossed)
August 27th, 2024 at 1:29 pm
He’s certainly injury prone, but so what, he’d be a luxury pick that you could taxi onto the regular squad when he’s healthy. Those reports early in camp said he looked really good – and he would give you a legit NFL WR for the weeks he’s healthy. When he’s dinged up, you boot him back down or put him on IR.
In any case, isn’t there something with veterans that if you’re on the roster the 1st day of the regular season that your salary is guaranteed for the year? Something along those lines? If so, then it would make sense to cut him for now and then bring him back, if he wants to come back.
August 27th, 2024 at 1:42 pm
Biff Barker Says:
Logan Hall … is at the bottom of the roster.
^^^^
Interesting.
Every depth chart over the last two seasons (and now this season) lists Hall as the starter. Looks like you know something we don’t. Who’s taking his spot? Brown, Green, Gaines, or Gholston. Please share.
August 27th, 2024 at 1:55 pm
Man, I wish I could make $21,000 per week.
August 27th, 2024 at 2:05 pm
Did Mayfield get cut yet?
Oh wait that’s not until next year.
August 27th, 2024 at 2:05 pm
He’ll never be healthy. The PS should be to develop young talent that you can have for practice. He can’t play teams, it was a nice gesture bringing him in. Now cut bait.
August 27th, 2024 at 2:06 pm
lol I was thinking that ,,, sure beats 1000 or 600
August 27th, 2024 at 2:23 pm
Desmond Ridder got cut. I look forward to him bagging my groceries at Winn Dixie in the not too distant future.
August 27th, 2024 at 2:24 pm
Assuming practice squad players cease to be paid when the season is over, $21,300 a week for 18 regular season weeks comes to $383,400—not bad to most of the world, but a paltry sum when being part of a major sports franchise.
Keep in mind that is the max a practice squad player can make. The required practice player sum for a two year veteran is $16,800, and as little as 12K for a rookie.
The minimum salary for a player who makes the team, or is called up, is $795,000—once again not bad, but barely visible when your quarterback, a guy who you could theoretically be snapping the ball to on every offensive play, is placing his 50 million dollar hands on your butt 40+ times a game.
August 27th, 2024 at 2:35 pm
Rod Munch Says:
August 27th, 2024 at 2:23 pm
Desmond Ridder got cut. I look forward to him bagging my groceries at Winn Dixie in the not too distant future.
If Murray goes down @ 46 million/per the season is shot and they can hire someone off the street to QB because their season is done.
With 5 million in earnings he will be bagging some football widows in the Glendale area before he bags a single Hungry Man Frozen Dinner for you at Winn Dixie.
August 27th, 2024 at 2:38 pm
Bonzai,
I bet you tackle better than JTS..
Just sayin.🙂
August 27th, 2024 at 2:39 pm
Put him on an incentive driven contract only after he’s 100% healthy
August 27th, 2024 at 3:08 pm
Like Dave Moore he could be a difference maker in the playoffs. Hope they can sign him to the practice squad.
August 27th, 2024 at 3:16 pm
We good 👍
August 27th, 2024 at 3:18 pm
21k a week to run around in shorts and workout everyday!
And on top of that, they can get all their meals at One Buc Palace, so basically you can bank every dollar of that $21k.
winning !
August 27th, 2024 at 3:28 pm
Hell yes, PS if he’ll take it…..someone promise to take him fishing or lap dances at Mons.
August 27th, 2024 at 4:24 pm
NJbucs23 Says:
August 27th, 2024 at 3:18 pm
21k a week to run around in shorts and workout everyday!
And on top of that, they can get all their meals at One Buc Palace, so basically you can bank every dollar of that $21k.
———–
If you’re Wesley Snipes maybe, but the rest of us have to pay taxes.
August 27th, 2024 at 4:39 pm
Odds are one of those five guys is going to have a high ankle sprain or hammy or something
August 27th, 2024 at 5:25 pm
If I was a white FA WR this is the last place I would try and pitch a tent. We had three white FA WR’s who caught everything thrown to them and made every practice yet the Bucs cut all three and Bowels chose to keep 1 WR who was out a number of practices and played one game and caught three passes for minmimal yards and pines for another who has spend most of the last couple of season9s taking a warm bath. Why not bring in Julio Mr. Glass Jones for a tryout while your at it.
August 27th, 2024 at 6:03 pm
Damn, make my yearly salary in one month! Sign me up
August 27th, 2024 at 6:14 pm
I give up…..if there are duplicate posts from me it’s because each time I hit submit my laptop glitched and everything vanished……so sorry if it showed up twice….
August 27th, 2024 at 6:19 pm
If he was smart with his nfl earnings then that shouldn’t be worth it. His future should have already been long set up. He doesn’t seem like a Randy Gregory type
August 27th, 2024 at 6:35 pm
My Social security check is less than 21k per year. 21k a week? Enough please!
August 27th, 2024 at 7:55 pm
Pay me 21k per week and the last thing I’ll be crying about is whatever taxes I owe on it.
August 27th, 2024 at 8:11 pm
doubt that happens he made millions as the QB so no chance he bags u r groceries
August 27th, 2024 at 10:04 pm
Fan of the South Says:
With 5 million in earnings he will be bagging some football widows in the Glendale area before he bags a single Hungry Man Frozen Dinner for you at Winn Dixie.
————
He’s made about $2.7m, not $5m – that full contract is not guaranteed. So take 40% off the top for taxes, what do agents get, lets say 10% for that and fees, etc. So you got about $1.35m in earnings – and you’re living the high life.
As I said, I’ll see him at Winn Dixie in a few years, where he can tell everyone he used to be a NFL QB, and how he’s going to work his way back, just like Kurt Warner, who also was a former bag boy.
August 27th, 2024 at 10:30 pm
If he does get healthy, it’s him or Jarett when off the IR as WR #6 because those top 5 look pretty damn good
August 27th, 2024 at 10:33 pm
Can I please get an explanation as to why everything I type is censored?
[You are not censored. — Joe]
August 27th, 2024 at 11:46 pm
Drake Stoops is available. Steve Largent over-achiever type. Somehow he gets open. He catches the ball when it comes his way. Positive force in the locker room
August 28th, 2024 at 3:08 am
He’s back according to Greg Auman.
August 28th, 2024 at 3:48 am
Just saw that LetsBucs. Hoping the best for him. He seemed to do well with both Baker and Trask from Joe’s notes from training camps. Special teams is perfect for him and see what happens.