Where Art Thou Lito?
By MATTHEW NADU
Updated 4:09 PM EST, Tue, Jan 6, 2009
The Eagles have a pretty darn good defense.
How good is it?
They rank No. 1 in the NFC.
They haven’t given up more than 14 points to an opponent since stuffing the Cardinals 48-20 on Thanksgiving Day. Add that up, that’s five straight games.
They lead the conference in least yards (297) and points (18.1) per game.
They have two secondary Pro Bowlers in Asante Samuel and Brian Dawkins.
That’s how good.
So with all the talent on the field, has anyone noticed where two-time Pro Bowler Lito Sheppard has been?
On the bench and this time it’s not due to injuries.
Lito, once a staple on the right side of the secondary, had just one interception while starting in only three games this season -- both his lowest totals since his 2002 rookie campaign.
Amazingly Jim Johnson’s defense hasn’t missed a step without him.
After reaching the Pro Bowl in 2004 and 2006 Sheppard established himself as an elite cornerback. He ranks second on the Eagles all-time list for interception returns for touchdowns (3), fourth in all-time interception yardage (460) and holds two of the Eagles top three longest touchdown returns (102 and 101 yards).
In this game, big numbers means big money and Sheppard wanted to renegotiate his contract at the end of the 2007 season.
Like many Eagles players in the past, including Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook, Philadelphia had locked Lito into a deal that was paying him far less than he thought he deserved.
In February of 2008, Sheppard and his newly signed agent Drew Rosenhaus (sound familiar, T.O is among his clientele) approached the organization.
"Lito is one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL… and his contract is outdated," Rosenhaus said last year. "Hopefully I can find some success here, work with the Eagles and we can come to a mutually beneficial agreement."
The Eagles responded by signing New England All-Pro cornerback Samuel to a whopping six-year $57.14 million contract. Rosenhaus called the deal for the two-time Super Bowl champ "one of the most lucrative contracts in NFL history."
Unless you follow the Eagles you may be more confused than J.C. Romero on what is and isn’t a legal substance.
Why would the Eagles hit the free agent market instead of paying one of their own?
Injuries.
Plain and simple Sheppard couldn't stay healthy.
As impressive as Sheppard’s defensive resume has been with the Birds, his injury resume is just as lengthy.
Despite his then 17 career interceptions, Sheppard had missed 16 games in his first six seasons with the Eagles before he demanded more money.
The Eagles defense sported NFL-worst 19 turnovers in 2007, missing the playoffs for the second time in three years. Sheppard was no help sitting five games because of an MCL injury.
Philadelphia needed to make moves in the off-season and couldn’t put their financial and defensive future at the risk of another injury.
So now here we are nearly one year later and Lito isn’t making a dime more than his original $2 million for 2008.
Now instead of getting paid for sitting out with injuries, Sheppard’s getting paid to sit behind starter Asante Samuel who took Sheppard’s spot at the beginning of the 2008 season. Sheppard has even dropped behind nickel back Joselio Hanson on the depth chart.
Without a doubt Sheppard can still be a big playmaker but the chance Old Splinter will start or get much time against the Giants in Sunday’s conference game at the Meadowlands are about the same odds that Andy Reid gets Philadelphia’s sexiest man alive award -- absolutely no shot.
After Samuel's 44-yard touchdown reception in last Sunday’s win over the Vikings, don’t expect Sheppard to start the rest of the playoffs.
Yet the question still remains; what are the Eagles to do with a sheepish Sheppard who’s rotting away more than the bench he’s sitting on?
Only time will tell.
Oh yeah and here is the entire Drew Rosenhaus rant:
First Published: Jan 6, 2009 2:20 PM EST
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