Buccaneers Release WR Sterling Shepard

There were some big moves in Tampa Bay as the Buccaneers finalized their 53-man roster. The big headline here is that wide receiver Sterling Shepard was released. It was pretty obvious that the Bucs favored some homegrown talent, as 22 of their last 23 draft picks made the final roster. This is indicative of the Buccaneers approach, to build a core that, perhaps, has a better chance of success by developing players in their backyard. The commitment shows that the Bucs, in finally completing their roster, had young talent and strategic choices that set the tone for the season’s outlook.

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Buccaneers Key Roster Moves

The Buccaneers have made several recognizable cuts while setting their final roster. Sterling Shepard and Cody Thompson headlined the receivers cut. After going down with an injury early in camp, Shepard never could battle for the No. 3 receiver spot. That went to rookie Jalen McMillan out of Washington, who impressed the coaching staff over other candidates for the position.

All the members of their 2024 draft class make the Bucs’ roster, evidence of the go-to strategy of the team: get young. For the third straight year, Tampa Bay has managed to keep almost all of their draft picks because, over the last three years, 22 of 23 picks have made the final roster. 26 of their last 30 draft picks remain with the organization. This strategy reflects the Buccaneers’ approach to building from the ground up with homegrown talent.

Wide Receiver and Tight End Plans

Of course, the most noticeable move was retaining just five receivers and four tight ends. The new offensive coordinator, Liam Coen, intends to use three receivers and one tight end in his base offense. The tight ends that cut were Ko Kieft. This echoes a line of approach towards the offense, with fewer but more key players fitting into the game plan. Perhaps the most surprising thing regarding the final roster is the inclusion of 11 defensive backs. That move speaks volumes about the Bucs’ secondary depth and quality. Retaining such a quality defensive back group prepares the Buccaneers for a competitive season with sound coverage and versatility on the defense.

Players like quarterback John Wolford and offensive linemen Avery Jones and Luke Haggard were highly unlikely to be released. All of these cuts, including running back D.J. Williams and defensive lineman C.J. Brewer, speak to the hard decisions that had to be made by the coaches. Many such players would return to the practice squad if they cleared waivers.

Excluding quarterback Baker Mayfield, Giants free agent guard Ben Bredeson is the only other 2024 starter who wasn’t drafted by the Buccaneers. This further indicates the committed mindset of the organization toward developing talent organically. The roster is very young, as just three—Lavonte David, Mike Evans, and Will Gholston—are older than 30.

Looking Ahead

The final roster decisions for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers show strategic efforts to focus on homegrown talent while streamlining a young team. It means the Bucs are setting up for a season reliant on their talent by releasing players like Sterling Shepard while retaining a core of draft picks. The depth in defensive backs and decisions regarding receivers and tight ends are indicative of a set plan in place. These decisions will go on to display how it are going to affect the team’s performance going into the 2024 NFL season, and fans can look forward to seeing just how these choices pan out.

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Article originally written by Faria Malik