Lining up Lito

By Lou DiPietro  |   Thursday, July 10, 2008  |  Comments( 10 )

Philadelphia Eagles
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Training camp opens across the NFL in under two weeks, and despite an entire offseason of negotiations and trade rumors, cornerback Lito Sheppard is still a Philadelphia Eagle. Even as rumors continue to swirl, Eagles president Joe Banner’s statement that “[Lito] will be with us this year” rings true.

As it stands, the Eagles have three Pro Bowl-level corners, all of whom are under contract until at least 2011. Consensus said that from the minute ex-Patriot Asante Samuel signed his six-year, $57 million contract, it was only a matter of time until Sheppard flew the coop; however, for now at least, those wings appear to have been clipped.

So now what?

Coordinator Jim Johnson is heralded as a defensive genius, but come September, he may have to do his best job of brainstorming yet. As injury-plagued as the secondary was last year, maybe it’s a good thing Johnson has so much talent at his disposal. But what would be best for the team?

The seemingly obvious thing to do is implement a rotation system. However, Samuel’s contract almost demands that he be on the field every play, meaning that Sheppard and Sheldon Brown – who have been the Eagles’ starting corners for four seasons now – get the short end of that stick. Not only would that produce unrest, it would likely hurt both Sheppard and Brown’s value, as they could still be traded this year or before the 2009 draft.

Option number two: Play a lot more nickel. With the Eagles’ biggest defensive weakness at linebacker, it would make sense on the surface. But Johnson isn't a blitz guru for nothing, and his 4-3 scheme has been a successful template for years now. Even in the age of wide-open NFL offenses, where having three solid corners is practically a must, it’s doubtful that Johnson would abandon a quality formula.

Of course, the Eagles could always move Sheppard to safety. Brian Dawkins may be a living legend, but he isn’t getting any younger, and strong safety Sean Considine only has 17 games as a starter under his belt. Size isn’t an issue either: Sheppard is only a few pounds smaller than Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu, two of the best in the game. On the down side, Sheppard is not accustomed to helping out against the run – a trait that Eagles safeties need – and as one GM told CBS Sportsline’s Clark Judge, “(Sheppard) doesn’t like to hit.” You don’t earn a nickname like “Weapon X” without rattling a few helmets, so Dawkins should be safe.

In the end, it will ultimately be a rotation system that wins out. An increased nickel presence just isn’t in the cards; when that package does come up, all three corners will be on the field, but don’t count on it as a regular presence. As for the safety option, Sheldon Brown is a better candidate for the move anyway, and despite the Eagles’ age and injury issues, it will be Dawkins and Considine lining up inside.

But there is a bright side: Sheppard has battled injuries since the Eagles’ 2004 Super Bowl run, so perhaps a lighter workload will help prevent '08 from being a replay of the past – which could only help his value come next offseason.
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About Lou DiPietro

Lou DiPietro is an accomplished freelance writer who is fascinated with all things sports. In addition to his duties at RealFootball365.com, Lou contributes to TheBleacherReport.com and Pro Wrestling Illustrated magazine, and has been featured on "The Sports Buffet with Matt West" on 1080-AM ESPN ...
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CommentsComments: 10  |  Sign Up  View all comments
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No.1
RedskinFan21ST		12:18 AM
07/11/2008
It's really scary to think about what this Eagles defense is going to be able to do. With such a good secondary Jim Johnson is ...
No.2
nhartman		03:00 PM
07/12/2008
Good secondary or no, he can't send blitz packages if he sacrifices a linebacker on the field for one of his elite ...
No.3
04:56 PM
07/12/2008
Just what the eagles are linng up for. As I always commented pass rushng, shut down the offenses ability to pass force them to ...
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