Before wide receiver Sterling Shepard joined RB Mar'Keise "Bucky" Irving on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last offseason, Shepard shared a locker room with Philadelphia Eagles star Saquon Barkley from 2018 through 2023 while with the New York Giants.
During a recent chat with Ira Kaufman of JoeBucsFan.com, Shepard offered high praise for Tampa Bay's current RB1.
"Bucky’s one of those special backs," Shepard explained. "I played with Saquon Barkley, so I’ve got that to compare anyone to. Let me tell you, Bucky’s special when he gets that ball in his hands. It’s his vision, his feet. And let me tell you, he’ll turn into a physical back if he has to, and the kid can catch. He does it all."
Barkley earned Offensive Player of the Year Award honors and was a Most Valuable Player Award finalist after leading the league with 2,283 yards from scrimmage during the 2024 regular season. He later helped the Eagles defeat the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX.
As for Irving, ESPN stats show that the 2024 fourth-round draft pick finished his rookie season ranked 10th in the NFL with 1,122 rushing yards and tied for 15th with eight rushing touchdowns. Additionally, he caught 47 of 52 passes for 392 yards.
With Irving, the Buccaneers had the NFL's fourth-best rushing attack (149.2 yards per game) last season. To compare, Tampa Bay finished last in the league in rushing offense over the prior two campaigns.
Earlier this offseason, the Buccaneers promoted Josh Grizzard from pass game coordinator to offensive coordinator after Liam Coen left the organization to become the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Grizzard has plenty of experience working with key contributors such as Irving, Shepard, quarterback Baker Mayfield, wideout Chris Godwin Jr. and star receiver Mike Evans.
"The more playmakers you have out there, the better. It’s going to be hard to match up with us," Shepard added about a Tampa Bay side that acquired receivers Emeka Egbuka (first round) and Tez Johnson (seventh round) during this year's draft. "I love Grizz. I was with him last year, picking his brain a lot. He’s a very smart guy. Liam Coen definitely did a good job, and Grizz was right there behind him. I think Grizz is going to have a great season."
The best could be to come for Mayfield and Co. if Grizzard proves to be an ideal replacement for Coen this coming fall.
