It looks as if the Eagles front office is not even considering having the best secondary in the NFL. Before they signed former Patriot Asante Samuel (46 tackles, 6 int., and 1 TD in 2007), it was rumored that Lito Sheppard (51 tackles and 2 int.) was unhappy with his contract but I’m sure he didn’t expect to be replaced. Eagles’ coach Andy Reid named Samuel the starter at the press conference announcing the signing and with Asante’s proven shutdown corner ability, Sheppard would be nice to have but his happiness is no longer important. The only thing Lito may be able to demand now is a trade, oops too late. The Eagles have already been shopping him and have heard some significant offers but are continuing to listen. A lot of teams will wait until they have completed all of their draft work before making an offer, but a deal is expected before the draft. Now, I don’t want anyone to think I’m coming down too hard on Sheppard so let’s compare the two corners.

Since the NFL has an unofficial, “what have you done for me lately?” policy, I’ll only compare the last three years: Lito Sheppard (113 tackles, 11 int., and 1 TD) is a high quality corner but his durability issues are a serious concern. In the last three seasons he has missed a total of 14 games!! That’s almost an entire season on the bench unable to contribute!! In fact, the only year he played an entire season was his second in the NFL, 2003. While he has sometimes shown the ability of a shutdown corner with great elusiveness after the interception, he needs to be on the field showcasing those qualities to be considered elite. On the other hand, Asante Samuel (165 tackles, 19 int., and 1 TD) has put up solid numbers the last three seasons and is an elite shutdown corner. He has proven is durability, only missing two games in the last three seasons. In 2006 he compiled a league-leading 10 interceptions (tied with Champ Bailey) and solidified his status as one of the top corners in the NFL. Also, his resume is impeccable when it comes to big-game experience; he’s played in 10 playoff games and 2 Superbowls! Lito has been great and I would love to keep him, but after the Samuel signing he has become expendable.