There are those who considered Will Sheppard a candidate to make a bid toward the Tampa Bay Buccaneers final 53-man roster.
But in fact, he won't even make the Bucs' 90-man roster.
Sheppard, a UDFA from Colorado, remains unsigned now after reportedly failing his physical.
Sheppard played his final college season at Colorado after transferring from Vanderbilt. .. after having been a starter in both programs.
Over the course of his time with the Commodores and the Buffaloes he ended up with 200 receptions for 2,688 yards and 27 TDs. ... good enough to get him an NFL look.
During the 2024 season, Sheppard played a major role for coach Deion Sanders and the Buffs as he served as one of the go-to receiver for quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
Travis Hunter was of course on top of that depth chart.
But Sheppard pitched in, too, with 621 yards and six touchdowns. ... enough to cause "Coach Prime'' to attempt to boost his profile as the school's "Showcase'' Pro Day.
"He’s a big-time receiver,'' Deion said. "A 50-50 ball, he’s going to get that more times than not. And I just love his character and what he brings to the table, what he brings to the practice field, day in and day out.
"He’s a tremendous asset."
That may be. But the Bucs - loaded up at receiver now with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Jalen McMillan and now rookie Emeka Egbuka - are saying goodbye as Sheppard looks for a shot somewhere other than Tampa Bay.