2023 was a renaissance season for Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield. After the Cleveland Browns opted to go with Deshaun Watson as their franchise quarterback, Mayfield was traded to the Carolina Panthers.
That stop was disastrous, but a solid stint to finish out 2022 with the Los Angeles Rams led to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers taking a chance on him. He made the most of it, parlaying his 2023 campaign into a three-year, $100 million contract.
There will be some challenges to him repeating that performance. Offensive coordinator Dave Canales is no longer with the team, as the Panthers hired him to be their head coach. But, the weapons around Baker Mayfield remain strong, as the team bolstered their wide receiver depth with an intriguing addition.
On Thursday, it was revealed that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers agreed to terms with former New York Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard. Shepard is someone that Baker Mayfield knows well, as they played together collegiately at Oklahoma.
In 2015, Shepard’s senior season with the Sooners, he caught 86 passes for 1,288 yards and 15 touchdowns from Baker Mayfield. A few months later, he was a second-round pick of the Giants, where he spent the first eight seasons of his career.
During his tenure with New York, Shepard played in 90 games, starting 74 of them. Injuries derailed his career at times, dealing with multiple concussions, an Achilles tear in 2021 and an ACL tear in 2022.
A consummate professional, Shepard is someone who is willing to fill any role for the team. With Mike Evans and Chris Godwin cemented as the top two options in the passing game, a role could emerge for Shepard as the No. 3 wide receiver. His rapport with Baker Mayfield is one that should lead to him picking things up with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers rather quickly.
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