It appears that the New York Giants have added a veteran wide receiver to their depth chart. Russell Shepard has posted a picture of the Giants logo on his Instagram with the caption “new home SAME GRIND...” If true, he will join a Giants team looking for a reliable third receiver behind Odell Beckham Jr. and Sterling Shepard.
Reunited with Gettleman
Last offseason, the Carolina Panthers agreed to a three-year deal worth $10 million with Shepard.
This was while current Giants general manager David Gettleman was in the same position with Carolina. Gettleman was later fired by the Panthers prior to the start of last season.
Shepard will see another familiar face in Mike Shula. Shula is the Giants’ new offensive coordinator, a role he served with the Panthers last season. This isn’t the only player the Giants are bringing in who has a history with these two men as running back Jonathan Stewart was also signed in the offseason after a long run with the Panthers.
How Shepard has fared in his career
While Shepard signed a three-year deal with the Panthers last offseason, he was cut by the team last week after he reportedly did not want to agree to a pay cut.
He wasn’t that much of a factor in his one season with Carolina. In 15 games, he caught 17 passes for 202 yards and one touchdown. He also returned three kickoffs for 65 yards. Shepard wasn’t able to corral more than three passes in any game last year and didn’t have a catch in any of Carolina’s last four games (including their postseason game).
Prior to that, Shepard played his first four seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2013-16. After catching a total of just seven passes in his first three years, he had his best season in 2016. That year, he ended with 23 receptions for 341 yards and two touchdowns.
Who he will battle with on depth chart
The two main wide receivers for the Giants this season will be Odell Beckham Jr.
and Sterling Shepard. That much is a given as long as they remain healthy and on the field. Who receives the most targets after those two from the receiver position is anyone’s guess at this point.
The team signed Cody Latimer earlier in the offseason to a one-year deal. A second-round pick in 2014, Latimer hasn’t exactly made much of a mark in his NFL career with 35 catches (19 of those coming last season). Roger Lewis started eight games for the Giants last season as the team dealt with a boatload of injuries to their receiving corps. He ended 2017 with 36 catches for 416 yards and two touchdowns.
Travis Rudolph started one game with New York last year and caught eight passes in seven games. So, none of these players have really proven themselves to be reliable pros. Neither has Shepard, but he will have the chance to prove himself and possibly make an impact.