Lito Sheppard - He Once Was An Eagle

[Diomedes]

QB's really are that valuable and although I think Cassel was the beneficiary of a great corps of receiver he was still worth more on paper than what they got for him.

Perhaps so, but it obviously wasn't worth it to the Pats to carry both he and Brady.  I don't for a second believe they would have gotten a first round pick for him, and they wanted the 20 mill off their books so they took the deal.  It doesn't seem crazy to me.

[Rome]

That is also very true.  They have three #2's now.  If it were the Eagles they'd blow two out of three but the Patriots might end up with three Pro Bowlers.

[SD_Eagle5]

QB's really are that valuable and although I think Cassel was the beneficiary of a great corps of receiver he was still worth more on paper than what they got for him.

Perhaps so, but it obviously wasn't worth it to the Pats to carry both he and Brady.  I don't for a second believe they would have gotten a first round pick for him, and they wanted the 20 mill off their books so they took the deal.  It doesn't seem crazy to me.

I was typing this, scrolled down, saw your reply. The Pats didn't have that much leverage.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

That is also very true.  They have three #2's now.  If it were the Eagles they'd blow two out of three but the Patriots might end up with three Pro Bowlers.

The Eagles' new strategy seems to be to let the Patriots draft talent and then try to sign their players to their second contracts, because the Pats' FO might be the only one more pennywise than the Eagles'.

[Seabiscuit36]

looking at what Lito was traded for, Cassell, LMAO at the Cowpukes and their trade for Roy Williams

[SD_Eagle5]

I lol'd at this article:

February 27, 10:53 PM
by Angel Navedo, New York Jets Examiner

"Hello, police? This is the Philadelphia Eagles. Yes, I'd like to report a robbery. The New York Jets just ran off with our cornerback! What do you mean, 'How do I know?' They left a late-round draft pick in his place. Please! Come quickly!"

In a day that will go down in infamy, the New York Jets have completed terms to a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles to acquire the services of two-time Pro Bowl CB Lito Sheppard.

Sheppard had fallen out of favor with the Eagles in recent years.

The acquisition of Asante Samuel and the emergence of Sheldon Brown combined to force Sheppard back on the depth chart. It also helped provide an insanely low asking price for a former first round pick.

Sheppard was selected 26th-overall in 2002—four picks after Bryan Thomas—and is now expected to start opposite Darrelle Revis. He provides an immediate upgrade at the position, and comes at an unfairly low risk for the Jets.

Compensation for the trade is being reported as a fifth round draft pick in 2009, and a conditional draft pick in 2010. The trade may also require a new contract for Sheppard, who had been vocal about wanting an extension or a release in Philadelphia.

None of the free agent corners that are available provide the same kind of value as Sheppard. With options like Leigh Bodden roaming the market, the trade for a former Pro Bowl player was definitely the best option.

DeAngelo Hall and Domonique Foxworth received large contracts from the Washington taterskins and Baltimore Ravens, respectively. Those contracts may be the starting negotiation point for Sheppard.

Bringing in an experienced veteran who has excelled at his position instantly gives the Jets room for comfort in the secondary. It's an area that needed to be addressed, and was a concern heading into the offseason.

Trading for Sheppard does create some question marks around Dwight Lowery. After a solid start to his rookie campaign, Lowery found himself on the negative end of "upgrade" conversations.

Signing Ty Law placed Lowery on the bench, and with Lito Sheppard coming to town, it now looks like he won't have an opportunity to get his starting job back.

In fact, Lowery's role will be significantly reduced with Corey Ivy expected to sign with the Jets as well.

With Jim Leonhard expected to be the favorite for the safety position opposite Kerry Rhodes and Abram Elam signed on for $1.1M as a restricted free agent, Lowery may not even have an opportunity to rotate in the game.

[SD_Eagle5]

Source NY Daily News

"Interesting details are trickling in on the Sheppard contract. It's a complex, but clever deal by GM Mike Tannenbaum that protects the Jets if Sheppard is a bust.

Some tidbits:

• Technically, there's no guaranteed money in the contract. Sheppard will make $3 million this season, the same he would've made with the Eagles.

• In March, 2010, there's a $10 million option bonus. If the Jets decide to pay it, a new four-year, $27.2 million kicks in.

• If Sheppard is injured and misses considerable time, the Jets can get out of the deal after one year and they wouldn't owe the Eagles a draft pick in 2010. If that's the case, all it would've cost them is a fifth-round pick in the '09 draft. One person familiar with the deal said it could amount to a "one-year test drive" for the Jets.

• The conditional pick in '10 can rise to a second-rounder, but only if he hits an 85% playing-time plateau AND receives the four-year extension. And if that does happen, the Jets would get a fifth-rounder back from the Eagles.

• If Sheppard makes 85%, but doesn't receive the extension, the Jets would owe a third-rounder to the Eagles and would recoup a fifth rounder.

• Obviously, there are a number of different scenarios, and I won't bore you with them, but this is the essence of the trade. Bottom line: If Sheppard stinks, it'll be a one-year deal for $3 million and would cost them a fifth-round pick. If he becomes a full-time starter, the Jets probably will have to give up a second- or third-rounder in addition to this year's fifth and they'll have to pay him roughly what this year's top cornerback free agents (the Colts' Kelvin Hayden and the Ravens' Domonique Foxworth) received on their just-signed deals."

[reese125]

I think Lito makes the 85% and the Birds get their most coveted pick of the draft--the almighty 3rd rounder

[methdeez]

No way they pay that $10 mill. bonus. If anything they will cut him and then just resign him to a new contract the next day like NO did this year.

[Rome]

Or they'll cut him and he'll sign elsewhere for even more money which is all he cares about anyway.

[Diomedes]

no matter what, he's got incentive to play his ass off and not get hurt

[PhillyPhreak54]

No way they pay that $10 mill. bonus. If anything they will cut him and then just resign him to a new contract the next day like NO did this year.

That was my thought as well.

Although itwould be funny if he gets hurt again, who will he blame then?

Its a shame things went sour for Tito...he was good when he was on the field.

[rjs246]

Do the Jets play the Cowboys at all this year?

[PhillyPhreak54]

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/jets/2009/03/sheppard-set-for-a-fresh-start.html

Sheppard set for a fresh start
March 3, 2009

Well, he's no Bart Scott - in terms of conference-call pizzazz, that is.

We just finished a call with newly-acquired CB Lito Sheppard, formerly of the Eagles. As you probably know, the Jets acquired Sheppard for a fifth-round pick in the upcoming draft and, possibly, a conditional pick in 2010. He wasn't as chatty as Scott, and he really didn't get into specifics about what went wrong in Philly, but he said he's thankful to have a fresh start.

"It's great. It gives me a chance to get back on the football field and be the great player I try to be," he said. "That was one chapter in my book and I'm starting a new one."

Sheppard, who landed in Andy Reid's doghouse, was asked about the Philly saga.

"Obviously, we saw things a little different and one thing led to another," he said. "The best thing for me, if I wanted to continue to play football, was to go elsewhere. That's what we decided on. That's in the past now."

In Philly, Sheppard complained about his contract, got hurt a lot and was ticked off when the Eagles broke the bank to sign CB Asante Samuel. But he's only 27, with two Pro Bowls on his resume, and the Jets are hoping for a Kris Jenkins-like turnaround.

"Change is not always bad," Sheppard said. "Sometimes change can rejuvenate a player...If a player is not completely happy, it can affect his play, so the best thing for that player and the organization is to let the player go elsewhere."

Sheppard was asked a few questions about playing man-to-man coverage, which figures to be a big part of the Jets' new defensive package. He did it a lot in Philly, yet he wasn't too expansive on it.

"I've been playing seven years and I've been to two Pro Bowls, and I've had a pretty okay career to this point," he said. "I played a lot of man-to-man in Philadelphia, and we blitzed a lot there, so I'm pretty familiar with getting the job done, if that's the case."

Sheppard said he met CB Darrelle Revis the other day, and he said Revis is "definitely on the rise to be a star."

With Sheppard and Revis, and with former Raven Jim Leonard joining Kerry Rhodes at safety, the Jets secondary - on paper - is significantly better than last season.

[ice grillin you]

With Sheppard and Revis, and with former Raven Jim Leonard joining Kerry Rhodes at safety, the Jets secondary - on paper - is significantly better than last season.

this line jumped right out at me and really has me angry...of course all the moves arent going to pan out but while teams all over the nfl add pieces in an attempt to improve their teams what position are the eagles going to be better at next year?

all they are farging doing is trying stop gap a leaky clusterfarg of an offensive line placate a salty qb and replace a legendary team leader pro bowler at safety...everything they seem to do is to try to prevent areas from getting worse...where is the activity to actually upgrade?