Shilo Sanders Caught The Eye Of Brian Baldinger, Jason Licht
August 12th, 2025
Made an impression.
So former NFL offensive lineman and current NFL Network talking head Brian Baldinger has been posting highlights on his Twitter account of plays and players that made an impact in the first week of worthless preseason games.
One is Bucs safety Shilo Sanders.
Now will the undrafted free agent make the roster? Tough call. The Bucs have a good stable of safeties that became deep with Tykee Smith moving from nickel corner.
Baldinger loved how Sanders made Titans quarterback Brandon Allen pay for a pass, burying him into The Licht House turf. Yeah, yeah, yeah, the Titans running back fully whiffed on his block attempt on Sanders.
So what was Sanders supposed to do, pull up and not come close to Allen? Isn’t that what Bucs edge rushers are for?
While worthless preseason games irk Joe, at least they are not underwear football. Hitting is fully acceptable in worthless preseason games. And Sanders took advantage.
Prior to the game, Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht told the team’s radio network that fellow UDFA safety J.J. Roberts and Sanders “are turning some heads” with their quality play.
.@Buccaneers @ShiloSanders took advantage of his 45 snaps on defense and special teams. Very few things in life feel better to a football player than spanking a QB. #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/VK12S8Hv94
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) August 11, 2025
August 12th, 2025 at 4:53 am
The Bucs need to keep Shilo. He can continue learning from the best and you can tell his heart and soul is in it. Shilo did do well in the preseason game and already has a large fan base rooting for him.
August 12th, 2025 at 6:21 am
JJ Roberts.
August 12th, 2025 at 6:46 am
With the success of shedur sanders in Cleveland thus far and Deion not meddling in either sons young football career thus far, I believe all this positive publicity around the Sanders name will mean that Shiloh would be claimed immediately if he were to be cut and tried by Bucs to be stashed on the practice squad. So if Bucs want to keep Shiloh long term it’s gotta be the active roster. Even if JJ is a slightly better prospect, he would more likely slip through to the practice squad
August 12th, 2025 at 7:02 am
Love how Joe doubles down on the use of “worthless.” We should all have to do a shot (alcohol or espresso) when we see that word on here. I agree that preseason is worthless on one level because we just saw that Jaguars kicker do 70 yard FG and it doesn’t count. If you are starter or promising rookie or UDFA but get injured, you got hurt for a glorified practice game. Yes it does help give experience and allow teams to evaluate but when we lose a good player it is worthless. But not going to lie, I liked watching the game Saturday so that was worth it to me but not at the cost of White being hurt. Ok now time for my double, no wait, triple shot of espresso as I got a long day ahead of me.
August 12th, 2025 at 7:21 am
“worthless preseason games.” D@mn it Joe!
August 12th, 2025 at 7:42 am
Antoine & Tykee
Izien & Merriweather
Roberts & Sanders
That’s 3 FS-SS combinations. Tough decisions ahead for the last 2 names on the list.
August 12th, 2025 at 8:24 am
i hope he makes it….kid could develop into a decent starter imo…roberts as well….
i’d keep roberts and sanders and cut jarrett and braswell
GO BUCS!!!!
August 12th, 2025 at 8:32 am
Sanders brings a certain energy to the team that is invaluable. Keep him.
He can make plays. He can handle pressure. He can motivate.
August 12th, 2025 at 8:34 am
“Worthless preseason games” … even better than calling them as such is something else I applaud Joe for – not one article even bothered to mention the final score or who won. Bravo!
August 12th, 2025 at 9:24 am
This is a practice squad player.
August 12th, 2025 at 9:28 am
Just the fact that he is 100% dedicated, has a motor, and doesn’t get injured counts for something. I think he ends up on the practice squad and rotates into games when injuries occur. Seriously , no one in the secondary can stay healthy so they better not let this guy go.
August 12th, 2025 at 9:42 am
i did see a short vid on shilo the other day, and they honed in on every snap he was in the game for…
what i noticed is he has a good feel for the game and a nose for the football…
he was rarely not involved in the play, or really out of position…
i concluded from the zoom in film on him that he played well and the football instincts are def there…
he was looking pretty good out there…
just a thought
August 12th, 2025 at 10:31 am
worthless to some, the opportunity of a lifetime for others.
August 12th, 2025 at 10:31 am
You can always tell the high IQ fans from the low IQ fans when it comes to players like Sanders and Watson. The high IQ fans know the truth while the low IQ fans don’t care about the truth and would rather have a recognizable name or be able to say we have a 400 lb player rather than what’s best for the team.
Sanders has average size, average speed, average tape. He’s much older for a rookie at 25, he’s also the 7th safety out of 7 on the team. We’re probably keeping four, maybe five. There are seven safeties ahead of him and with the exception of Wisdom and maybe Merriwether, he has no shot of getting ahead of any of them.
Winfield and Smith are our starters. Izien is out top backup and extremely versatile. JJ Roberts is also a rookie, and he’s guaranteed more money than most 6th round picks are…. he’s way more athletic, roughly the same size, more productive in college, and far more versatile. As for Merriweather, he’s far bigger, plays the same position (SS), has 30 NFL games of experience, and he’s still younger than Shiloh. Wisdom, also bigger, plays same position, and two years younger. Sanders has a very poor chance of making it yet he’s talked about constantly. Now I’m starting to understand how a top 40 talent like Shadeur drops all the way to the 5th round. Low IQ fans can’t stand it when a name they recognize isn’t playing, they would make it a PR nightmare.
August 12th, 2025 at 10:45 am
It all feels very “dog and pony” to me. His skills are real but not elite. He in a pinch, is a tough call. He has his up side. However there is an inevitability that he drags a circus with him wherever he goes.
It’s Great for publicity and notoriety for the team. And THAT IS something the Bucs can use (exciting publicity) and has a certain “it” factor that certain teams just get automatically. I.e. Cowboys, Giants, eagles etc. That they’ve gain from having exciting personalities and or locations playing in their favor. We never had THAT until Brady came to town. And without a doubt it gave us automatic credibility whether we actually deserved it or not.
So if we cut him we aren’t losing extreme talent (at least it hasn’t shown in Sanders yet) we’re losing a different opportunity. But At What Cost?
It might be the Smart play in certain terms and Sanders might well Blow Up in his game and turn out to be well worth it, and a Pilar for the team..
It’s the “dog and pony” aspect that’s haunting my thoughts. The “Circus” that doesn’t necessarily include the team OR the culture that we’ve worked so hard to maintain. In other words it could all backfire and damage that Rare Unity that our locker room has through Tough Lessons and Hard Work and a Unified Front, that we Now Enjoy and DEFINITELY Benefit from.
The current philosophy is head down, work hard, TEAM FIRST! And it’s WORKING!
What’s the effect there if the circus is in town? Hmm. Tough call.
August 12th, 2025 at 11:49 am
As the very few (only?) person who has been a Bucs fan for 50 years and saw every Colorado game the Sanders boys played out here in Colorado, I cannot believe the hype with Shilo. He was usually the DB picked on the most for the Buffs defense, was neither big nor fast by Big 12 standards. With Travis Hunter on lockdown island, the Buffs safeties could gamble and he occasionally came up big, but more often was toast.
Deion had speed all over his WR and DB room and several of those guys are gonna have nice careers in the NFL as they all got better under Deion’s staff and have a playmaking mentality. I’m rooting for Shilo, but it’s gonna be a long way to becoming any kind of roster player, much less an impact player no matter how much Drew Rosenhaus has him hyped up otherwise.
That said I haven’t seen this much preseason excitement for a free agent since Issac Haggins had two TDs on kick returns in the preseason of 76 or 77.
August 12th, 2025 at 11:57 am
I am so sick of Joe saying “worthless preseason” games. If NOTHING else, it gives you so much to write about, your money keeps rolling in. I think they are worth a great deal to you.
August 12th, 2025 at 11:59 am
adam from ny Says:
August 12th, 2025 at 9:42 am
i did see a short vid on shilo the other day, and they honed in on every snap he was in the game for…
what i noticed is he has a good feel for the game and a nose for the football…
he was rarely not involved in the play, or really out of position…
Here is my take: Shilo’s father was one of the best DB of all times. Obviously, his father has ingrained in him the “essentials” of DB work. That gives him something almost no other DB has. I’m not worried that the father gumming up the Buc “culture”. If he has any physical talent at all he is a keeper. Cut Braswell (= JTS) before cutting Shilo.
August 12th, 2025 at 12:04 pm
How many safweties are kept usually? Obviously if you can play nickel as well it is a big benefit (like Izien).
Got to assume Antoine & Tykee & Izien are the top 3.
Is Merriweather really that far ahead of JJ and Shilo?
KEN G???? I watched plenty of Col Buff games and Travis and Shilo were the only 2 DBs that actually could play. The rest were garbage. Not saying he is good enough for the Bucs but WAY better than you just made him out to be
August 12th, 2025 at 12:26 pm
I see the Depth Chart like this
Cornerbacks
Dean,McCollum,Parrish,Morrison.Hall and Roberts
Safetys
Winfield,Smilth,Izien.Merriweather and Sanders
Roberts is a Cornerback who can play Safety in a Pinch Sanders a Special Teams Ace will replace Josh Hayes
August 12th, 2025 at 1:44 pm
the nfl needs the eyeballs. both sanders are worth a point, that is worth it if they are borderline.
why do people have the illusion that the best man should get the job. that went out years ago
sorry a better player might lose out, life on the bubble is not really as good as you’d like. but being an actual nfl player should help you with the ladies, so at least there’s that.
August 12th, 2025 at 2:17 pm
Worthless preseason game indeed. Meaning they don’t count towards the wins or loss column. That’s all Joe is meaning in my humble opinion.
Sanders is a practice squad dude, not special. Every other safety on our roster buries that dude just the same. I’m rooting for the kid but I’m sure he doesn’t make the final 53
August 12th, 2025 at 2:41 pm
David — fellow Buff observer: You must have had too much of the local cannabis! Safety Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig was the Buffs leading tackler, way better than Shilo and is in the Jags camp as a UFA with a chance to actually make the team.
I hope Shilo makes it. And he seems to be at least giving himself a chance. But he’s basically Bronny James out there. Big heart. But too small. Too slow. With a brother who is a much better player than him.
August 12th, 2025 at 7:15 pm
The biggest thing about Sanders was that he looked pretty fast, and that’s a must. The Bucs have recently really loved depth guys who might be great guys, but they were too slow for the NFL. Sanders I don’t think clocked anything impressive, but his play speed, when I noticed him, looked pretty good. No idea if makes the PS or not, but he’s giving himself a shot.