It does not matter what Shilo Sanders' surname is. He is an undrafted free agent out of Colorado, hoping to make the Tampa Bay Buccaneers out of fall camp. While he has shown signs of promise in rookie minicamp and in offseason practice for his new employer, it is far from a guarantee he will even end up making the team ahead of Week 1. It will be close, but there is a reason it could be no cigar...
Scott Reynolds of Pewter Report discussed there is a chance that fellow undrafted free agent J.J. Roberts out of Marshall could potentially still be ahead of Sanders on the safety depth chart. Versatility in the defensive backfield is key to making a team as a young player. Sanders may have to factor on special teams, so he will have to put his money where his mouth is, proverbially speaking.
Across the board, I find how the Buccaneers are going about trying to figure out who is who in its rookie class to be utterly fascinating. We all know that first-round pick in wide receiver Emeka Egbuka out of Ohio State is going to make the team. Tampa Bay taking him when the Buccaneers already had Mike Evans and Chris Godwin on the roster was odd, as was taking Tez Johnson in the seventh round.
With Johnson having taking control of the return game, where is Sanders going to find his niche now?
It may have to be on special teams, but it might end up being disciplined and tactically sound more.
Shilo Sanders is a good camp story, but far from a lock to make the team
Competition is great. The cream always rises to the top. In the Buccaneers' case, this is only a good thing. It is because the team has to find new ways to stay hungry when trying to win the NFC South for the fifth year in a row. The Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers are chomping at the bit to overtake them, while it might a little while longer before the New Orleans Saints are ready to play ball.
Sanders may not have the physical attributes of his famous father, but I know that Deion Sanders has instilled his sons a work ethic to be great. Everybody's path into the NFL is different. It is such a huge honor to even play on Sundays. While making the team would be a huge accomplishment for Sanders, keep in mind that Roberts is just as hungry as Sanders by going undrafted out of Marshall.
In the end, there are only so many roster spots to be had on every NFL roster. If Sanders or Roberts do not end up making the Buccaneers, they can always stick on somebody else's practice squad, waiting for their time to play on Sunday. It may come for both, or it may not. That is the nature of the beast. What is important is it seems as though only one of them will end up making the Buccaneers.
With head coach Todd Bowles being a defensive mind, he will be keep extra close tabs on all of this.