Shilo Sanders went without hearing his name called in this year’s NFL Draft, but that did not mean he would be without a home. The 25-year-old quickly found himself with an offer to join teams as an undrafted free agent, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is where he now resides to fight for a roster spot.
Considering that his brother, Shedeur, was drafted to Cleveland in the fifth round, it seemed like Sanders would have a chance to receive an offer and potentially join his brother. Playing together would have granted their father, Coach “Prime” Deion Sanders, his wish of his sons playing together, but the elder brother went with the Buccaneers. He has finally spoken about the reason why he chose Tampa Bay.
“Look at Where We at”- Shilo Sanders on Choosing the Buccaneers
When Sanders was asked about the notion of an abundance of teams calling and gauging his interest, he was asked why Tampa Bay, and Sanders had an enthusiastic response, but a thoughtful one as well, “Look at where we at!” Sanders exclaimed with a smile on his face.
“Look at the whole coaching staff, it’s a real supportive coaching staff, everybody wants to see everybody do good, even the guys on the team… everybody is cool, we all wanna see each other win, and it is just a great environment to thrive in,” Sanders continued.
It seems that the Buccaneers’ team culture persuaded Sanders to jump on board and make an impact in Tampa. He mentioned speaking with his father before this question was asked and was told there would be teams calling, but the Buccaneers were the winners of Sanders’ services for now.
Can Shilo Sanders Earn a Roster Spot?
The road for any undrafted free agent is long and hardworking, but if any have the talent and ability to make an NFL roster, it is Shilo Sanders. Sanders’s troubles come mainly from off-the-field issues that are still ongoing. It seems as if the Buccaneers’ concerns have been mitigated while taking a low-risk, low-commitment approach to bringing Sanders into the building.
The Buccaneers drafted a cornerback in the second and third rounds this year, but no safeties. Antoine Winfield Jr. is the current mainstay at free safety for the Buccaneers. The strong safety position may be the one most up for grabs, as Jordan Whitehead is not a member of the roster.
Sanders will have to prove not only on the field that he can contribute and be a playmaker but also maintain a low profile off the field as his name gets bigger in the NFL spotlight.
Shilo Sanders spoke big about support and the environment in choosing the Buccaneers. If the former Colorado Buffalo can keep his head down and put in the work, then there is no reason for him not to be on the 53-man roster come the first week of the season.