Good news for the New York Giants: It appears Sterling Shepard is completely back from injury. Shepard fractured his thumb just over a week ago, but looks fine, according to ESPN's Jordan Ranaan.
Sterling Shepard appears to be a full go at practice. He's not even wearing the don't-touch-me, don't-throw-to-me yellow pinnie he wore in recent days. This eight days after he fractured his left thumb. Even caught a pass early in team drills. pic.twitter.com/4HkIfiS7Ts
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) August 2, 2019
This is a great sign for the Giants, who had been hit with a rash of wide receiver problems in the last few weeks. Projected number three receiver Corey Coleman tore his ACL in camp, and Golden Tate was hit with a four-game suspension. Shepard was expected to miss far more time, so seeing him back in practice is a good sign.
Sterling Shepard, a former Oklahoma Sooner, is expected to step into a huge role for Big Blue this year. With Odell Beckham Jr. shipped off to Cleveland, Shepard is expected to step into the role of the number one receiver. This is no easy task, since he is likely to face frequent double-teams.
While Sterling Shepard is the best pass-catcher on the team, reigning offensive rookie of the year Saquon Barkley should take some pressure off. The rest of the Giants' receiving options, however, are less than impactful. Career journeyman Russell Shepard is the next healthy option, with longtime return man Bennie Fowler behind him. Tight end Evan Engram has been unreliable since entering the league, both due to injury and poor play.
Despite the offensive weaponry being far less than impressive in New York, the return of Sterling Shepard is a good sign. With any luck, he can pull together what is otherwise an uninspiring group.
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