Giants Mainstay May Soon Be in ‘Another Uniform,’ Says Analyst  

Dealing Shepard Would Be a Mistake… at This Time

While the new faces in the G-Men’s aerial attack may point towards Shepard being expendable, you could argue his presence is needed now more than ever. The only current Giant to be part of the franchise’s most recent playoff team (2016), Shepard is a well-respected locker room presence and could pay huge dividends for Toney’s development as a rookie — who is no guarantee to be ready to overtake Shepard’s role in the slot from the jump.

Additionally, inserting Golladay on the outside should work wonders for Shepard, who can finally revert back to a role more suited for his skillset. The Oklahoma product’s most productive seasons came while playing alongside the aforementioned Odell Beckham Jr., which allowed him to work the underneath and intermediate game while drawing the defense’s second and third cover men. In reality, it wouldn’t be a shock if Shepard put forth career numbers in 2021.

A Year Too Early?

With all that said, Shepard’s time with the team that selected him in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft is most likely drawing to an end. Yet, as we previously covered, such a move likely wouldn’t come until after this coming season.

Now, is the writing on the wall for Shepard’s eventual exit from East Rutherford? More than likely. With that said, chances are that exit doesn’t happen until 2022, when the Giants have a potential out from under his contract (via Spotrac). This will allow the team time to evaluate whether or not Toney is ready to step into a larger go-to role in the offense. It will also give Shepard an opportunity to prove he’s worthy of sticking around.