One of the most notable moves the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made over the weekend came after the NFL Draft, when they signed Shilo Sanders as part of their undrafted free agent class.
The decision to add the lesser-known Sanders brother has sparked considerable discussion across the NFL, setting the stage for Shilo to potentially make an impact.
If he does, it will likely happen in Tampa, where the Bucs are hoping he can prove himself and secure a spot on the roster during training camp.
There’s significant upside to this possibility, given Sanders’ natural talent and the opportunity to develop alongside players like Antoine Winfield Jr., Tykee Smith, and Christian Izien.
However, Shilo brings a significant amount of family baggage with him to Tampa.
His brother, Shedeur, endured a historic fall in the NFL Draft, and one of the reasons for this is causing some concern, according to NFL insider Mike Florio.
While discussing the more positive aspects of Shilo Sanders’ signing, ProFootballTalk highlighted the underlying skepticism surrounding the decision to bring in anyone from the Sanders family this offseason.
“Any team that gives Shilo a shot needs to be ready for it to be a fair shot, because Deion has the public profile to call out anyone who doesn’t, in Deion’s view, give either Shilo or Shedeur a fair shot,” Florio wrote.
The primary concern surrounding the Sanders family is likely a contributing factor to Shedeur’s significant fall in the NFL Draft.
However, there is some positive news regarding Shilo’s journey, as it appears that Deion is taking a step back, with his only interaction being a heartfelt gesture.
After the Buccaneers signed Shilo as an undrafted free agent, Deion personally called head coach Todd Bowles to express his gratitude for giving his son a fair opportunity.
While Mike Florio raised concerns about how much involvement Deion might have moving forward, it currently seems that he’s allowing Shilo’s journey to unfold on its own.
This approach is beneficial for Shilo, especially considering he has a legitimate chance to make the final 53-man roster.
Whether it’s as part of the safety unit—an area that has been lacking in recent seasons—or as a special teams player, there appear to be more paths for Shilo to make the team than not.
Deion staying out of the situation, as Florio and others fear, would only help the circumstances.
At this point, it seems that Deion is indeed stepping back, and until proven otherwise, it’s important to give both him and Shilo the benefit of the doubt.
