Shepard, who was active for Sunday night's 23-20 wild-card loss to the Commanders but did not log any stats over 27 snaps, finished the 2024 regular season with 32 receptions for 334 yards and a touchdown on 51 targets along with eight rushes for 69 yards across 14 games.

EDGE Analysis

The veteran wideout was signed partly due to his college connection with Baker Mayfield, and Shepard ended up proving he still had something left in the tank after three injury-hampered and mostly ineffective seasons to cap off his long tenure with the Giants. Shepard ended up playing a bigger role than first envisioned due to Chris Godwin's season-ending ankle injury, recording at least four catches in four games and exceeding 40 receiving yards on four occasions as well. Shepard's season-long reception and receiving yardage totals outpaced the combined 23 catches and 211 yards he'd mustered in his final two Giants campaigns in 2022 and 2023, while his eight rush attempts represented a new career high. Shepard will once again be an unrestricted free agent come the new league year in March, and it's possible the Buccaneers opt to move on considering Godwin's expected return and Jalen McMillan's emergence over the course of his rookie year.