The New York Giants may have had some problems at receiver for the last season, but they’ve had a competitive group and a number of players have stepped up over the past year to fill in for injuries and other absences that have held the Giants back at the position – and one of those players who helped with the team’s depth last year was Russell Shepard, who only appeared in three games last season but remained an option on the Giants’ depth chart even when players such as Sterling Shepard, Golden Tate, Corey Coleman, and Cody Latimer were unavailable.
However, not everyone can return to the team following the offseason and one of the players that will be departing the Giants is apparently Shepard, who announced his departure on Instagram and will be free to sign with another team as a free agent.
Shepard spent two years with the Giants after signing for them in 2018, but his 2018 season was more eventful than his 2019 one – he played in 12 games rather than 3 in 2018, and had two touchdowns compared to none, as well as substantially more yards with 188 yards compared to 25.
Part of the reason Shepard had lower production was the rise of Darius Slayton as an option in the receiving game in his rookie season, as well as the arrival of Golden Tate, who became the de facto number two receiver for the time when he was available in 2020.
It remains to be seen where Shepard will sign, but with his departure, it looks like the Giants might have another spot for a rotation receiver – that could be filled by a new addition, or potentially even someone already on the roster who hasn’t gotten to shine, such as current free agent Corey Coleman.