One of the most popular names at Tampa Bay Buccaneers camp this offseason is a rookie who didn't even hear his name called at the podium. It could be that, despite the hype, Shilo Sanders doesn't see his name on the final roster at the end of August.
Sanders' future has been one of the most talked-about storylines in Tampa, mainly because it's seemed all along that he has a clear path to earning a spot. That shine might be wearing off, though, perhaps through no fault of his own.
Buccaneers insider Scott Reynolds was going over what the final 53-man roster might look like, and it's not great news for Sanders. He points out that there are four safeties with better chances of making the roster, and it might take the team carrying a fifth player at the position for him to make the cut.
"Do I think Shilo Sanders, an undrafted free agent from Colorado, has a legit chance of making the Bucs’ 2025 roster? I think it’s an uphill climb right now," Reynolds wrote, noting that fellow UDFA J.J. Roberts is ahead of Sanders. "Roberts had a draftable grade, unlike Sanders, and was in for an official 30 visit prior to the draft, whereas Sanders was not."
That's not a definitive 'no', but it doesn't paint as hopeful a picture as we saw earlier this offseason.
Shilo Sanders has an 'uphill', but not impossible, battle to making Buccaneers roster
Sanders has impressed with the way he's fit in with the team's culture, and all of the reservations fans had about his family name have been dismissed. Humbleness isn't something often associated with the Sanders family, but Shilo has been nothing but that since he arrived.
Rather than assume he'll get a spot with bravado, Shilo has been quietly proving his worth but the quiet part out loud the Bucs are saying is that it still might not be enough.
One potential path to a roster spot could be as a special teams guy, which is still well within possibility. It's also worth mentioning that even if he ends up being part of the final training camp roster cuts it doesn't mean his time in Tampa is over.
Sanders has all the makings of a top practice squad player as a rookie, assuming another team doesn't come along and steal him away. His personality fits, he's gotten along with everyone, and he's proven to be valuable -- all things that suggest he'd be welcomed back on the practice squad.
We're a long ways from that, and Sanders outright making the team is still on the table. He'll have stiff competition, though, and his future will be one Buccaneers fans watch with great interest at training camp.
