Buccaneers' Russell Shepard: Drawing interest from multiple teams

Shepard is also drawing interest from six teams besides the Bucs, who are interested in bringing him back, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports.

Tampa's special teams captain likely wouldn't have provoked a bidding war if things had transpired differently for the Bucs last season, but a plethora of injuries at the receiver position thrust Shepard into a much more prominent role on offense. The 26-year-old wideout parlayed the extra opportunities he saw from scrimmage into career highs in receptions (23), targets (40), yards (341) and touchdowns (two). He also flashed an ability to consistently get downfield, posting at least one double-digit-yardage catch in each of the last nine contests of 2016. He didn't allow the double duty to affect his normally stellar special teams play, either, as Shepard spearheaded a unit that allowed a meager 5.6 yards per punt return last season. According to reports, approximately three of the aforementioned interested teams have designs on Shepard serving as a bona fide third receiver that could ascend to the No. 2 role, while the remaining clubs are offering to make him "one of the highest-paid special-teams players in the league with multiple offensive packages." Given the apparent heavy interest, the Bucs may be forced to get in line with the rest of the crowd in their quest for Shepard come Thursday.