Ever since trading Odell Beckham Jr. back in 2019, Sterling Shepard has moonlighted as the New York Giants‘ No. 1 wide receiver. Yes, the role was likely a tad too grand of an undertaking. Nevertheless, Shepard has performed admirably for the most part — albeit when healthy.
Despite being limited to just 22 games over the past two seasons, the 28-year-old has led the team in receptions in back-to-back campaigns. This past year, he hauled in 66 receptions, which tied for the most over his five year-career, 58 of which came over the final 10 games of the season.
The lone holdover from the Giants’ infamous boat photo, and the longest-tenure player on the team’s roster, Shepard is clearly a quarterback-friendly option that would presumably continue to serve a young quarterback like Daniel Jones well. Yet, with a reworked receiving corps in East Rutherford, headlined by big-name additions such as Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney, Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report believes the Shepard could be donning a new uniform by season’s start, urging Big Blue to “consider trading” the veteran pass-catcher.
Someone needs to replace the departed Golden Tate as the New York Giants’ primary slot receiver in 2021, and the natural assumption might have been that veteran Sterling Shepard would step into that role with a larger workload.
But then the Giants signed John Ross III in March and used a first-round draft pick on Kadarius Toney, and both should get plenty of action in the slot while new arrival Kenny Golladay holds things down with Darius Slayton outside.
Where does that leave Shepard? Potentially in another uniform.
The steady 28-year-old is slated to cost the Giants $9 million this year, but they can save $7 million by dealing him. It seems like a no-brainer if the right deal is on the table.
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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.
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