Cleveland Browns: 20 Worst free agents signings in franchise history
By Randy Gurzi
Cleveland Browns worst free agents signings No. 15: Leslie Shepherd, Wide Receiver
A collegiate star at Temple, wide receiver Leslie Shepherd got his first chance in the NFL when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed him as an undrafted free agent. He never made their regular-season roster and then in 1993, he was with the Pittsburgh Steelers — but again didn’t make the active roster.
Shepherd then got his big break with Washington, joining them in 1994 and playing with them through the 1998 season. As Brian Stepanek of Bleacher Report said, Shepherd’s best season as a pro came in 1998 and Cleveland thought they got a steal when they signed him to their expansion roster.
"“When the Browns acquired the 30-year-old receiver in 1999, they thought they’d uncovered a hidden gem. Tight end Irv Smith nearly out-Shepherded Shepherd in terms of yardage, as the slot man caught only 23 passes for 274 yards and 0 TD’s. By 2002, Shepherd was out of football after a seven-year career.” — Stepanek, Bleacher Report"
After leaving the Browns, Shepherd did rebound some in 2000 with the Miami Dolphins as he had 446 yards and four touchdowns on 35 receptions so maybe not everything was on him. Still, his signing simply didn’t work out the way the team hoped it would.