We're settling into the camp portion of the NFL offseason, and there are more than a few interesting storylines for Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans to follow. Perhaps the most notable one revolves around Shilo Sanders, who is trying to make the team as an undrafted free agent.
His name is notable enough to garner some attention, but the rookie is already doing all he can to try and make sure he doesn't end up on the wrong side of camp roster cuts. So far he's managed to navigate around, that, and he's already doing all of the right things to put himself in the best position possible.
On the field he's managed to impress in the time he's seen at practice, and it sounds like he's fitting right in as a locker room personality.
Given his family's name, who is really surprised?
Sanders revealed an unexpected role he's playing in the Bucs locker room: Snack Master.
"I'm going to be the snack guy, so we just going to get a wholesale," Sanders told ESPN. "I'm going to have everything everybody needs. The meetings are really long, so I understand.. I might have a little spreadsheet with everybody's favorite stuff on there. You know what I'm saying? I have to bring my own [snacks]. I got to make sure that the vets are good. You know what I'm saying? Because they really been helping me and teaching me a lot of stuff. I'm really grateful for that. So that's the least I can do."
This might seem like a pretty harmless little joke, but it's actually a lot deeper than that. Sure, it's fun to hear Shilo riff like this but it's also a sign that he's actively trying to build the right kind of relationships in the building -- and it has nothing to do with actually getting snacks.
We've heard great things so far about Shilo's personality fitting like a glove, from this funny story to things like him trying to shake the hands of every reporter after meeting the local media for the first time.
Coming into the draft it's safe to say the Sanders family didn't exactly have the best reputation, and Shilo has done everything in his power to combat that with humblness. It's not performative, either, as everything he's done off the field as come across as genuine.
That's a great way to work your way onto the roster. Jason Licht mentioned in a recent interview that the team looks for those kinds of qualities in guys, in addition to performance on the field, and Shilo seems to be truly nailing at least one part of the equation.
He still needs to outright earn a roster spot on the field, but he's already playing at a position of need for the Bucs. If he can find a way to fit in more than one way, he might be closer to making the team than some might be willing to admit.
As long as the vibes stay as great as they seem, there's no reason to be rooting against him making the cut.
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