Sheldon Brown isn't a happy Bird -- the Birds aren't a happy employer. This probably won't end well.
"I've always been treated like the redheaded stepchild, ever since I was drafted," Brown told Philly.com.
He says the Eagles take him for granted telling ESPN's Sal Paolantonio that he wanted out of Philadelphia. The 30-year-old cornerback also told Sal Pal that he felt disrespected and that he wants more money.
Wait, an NFLer wants more dough -- that's nothing new. What's new here is that Brown has flat out stated publicly that he wants out of Philly if he doesn't get his money.
Brown is currently signed with the Birds through 2012.
"This is not personal, it's just business," he told Paolantonio.
But will the Eagles do anything or will they simply let an unhappy Brown continue to play for the team? Brown could wind up being a great piece for the Eagles to dangle out there in an attempt to snag a big-time wideout (Anquan Boldin).
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The Eagles for now seem uninterested in trading Brown. But, they were quick to respond to Brown's demands.
The Birds released a statement that we've included below. Take from the statement what you want, but it sure makes it seem that this could be Lito Sheppard volume two for the Birds.
Philadelphia Eagles statement on Sheldon Brown’s contract situation:
“It’s very unfortunate and counterproductive that Sheldon has chosen to go public with his feelings about his situation. After thorough evaluation by himself and discussions with his family and agents, he chose to accept an extension of his rookie contract early that provided his family financial security for the rest of his life. It removed any concerns about health or performance that all other players in his draft class had to worry about. He has four years remaining on that contract and, after taking the signing bonus and his first two years of salary into account, we feel that Sheldon is being paid fairly. Focusing only on a player’s salary for a given year is not a valid analysis.
“There have been league MVP’s, Super Bowl champion quarterbacks, and perennial Pro Bowlers who have been in a similar situation. All of their teams have required them to wait until their contract expired or there was only one year remaining before any adjustment took place. It is only in the most extraordinary, in fact, less than a handful of circumstances in the last ten years that any players two new years into a contract with four years left have been adjusted. We don’t think this qualifies as an extraordinary circumstance.
“Sheldon’s comments under the circumstances actually serve to devalue him in a trade if we were willing to consider it; which we are not.”
