Eagles have embarrassment of riches at CB

By John McMullen  |   Thursday, August 07, 2008  |  Comments( 6 )

Philadelphia Eagles
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When the Philadelphia Eagles signed All-Pro cornerback Asante Samuel away from the New England Patriots during the offseason, it was clear the team planned on trading the disgruntled Lito Sheppard.

The Eagles soured on Sheppard, a two-time Pro Bowl selection in his own right, because the Florida product has had trouble staying on the field in recent seasons and was balking at his contract. That didn't stop the Birds from asking for a second-round pick at draft time, however.

Unable to get what it thought was fair market value for Sheppard, Philadelphia reluctantly kept him around and hoped he would show for training camp.

To his credit, Sheppard didn't hold out, a big break for the Eagles because his replacement -- Samuel -- has been hampered by hamstring problems.

And Sheppard will be back in a familiar spot -- the starting lineup -- when Philadelphia opens its preseason slate in Pittsburgh on Friday.

"I said Lito will start at left corner and Sheldon (Brown) will start at right corner," Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson said Wednesday. "We will go from there next week. I'm not going to worry about that right now. I'll see how it goes. It's week-by-week right now. We'll have to get Asante on the field before we make up that other stuff."

It's not like Sheppard has a chance to unseat the playmaking Samuel once the former Pats star gets back on the field. The Eagles are way too enamored with Asante's big-play ability.

"It's a setback," Johnson said of Samuel's injury. "I think one thing about it is that he's a pro, he's asking good questions. I'm sure he's anxious to get out there. It's a little bit of a setback, but I think he's been around the league long enough and he's been really good in meetings and asking good questions, so I think he's in tune with what we're doing."

Translation: No matter how long Samuel is sidelined, the left corner spot is his as soon as he gets back on the field. But it's hard to imagine that a healthy and happy Sheppard wouldn't be an upgrade over Brown, a solid but athletically limited player at the right cornerback position.

The Eagles remain comfortable with Brown, a big hitter who occasionally struggles in coverage, and are still hoping to play the trading game. Mindful that injuries can happen at any time in the NFL, the Eagles' brain trust is pumping up Brown while showcasing Sheppard in the hopes a first-day draft choice is still salvageable.

"He's having a very solid camp," Johnson said of Brown. "I think one of his better camps. He's been around so much and he has a great attitude. He's working hard. He came off a pretty good year last year and I think he's continuing it this year."

So what happens if the Eagles can't unload Sheppard in the next few weeks?

Johnson will have to settle for an embarrassment of riches -- a cornerback tandem of Samuel and Sheppard with Brown in the nickel.

Training Camp: An entirely new kind of fantasy game!
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About John McMullen

John is the managing editor of The Phanatic Magazine, the assistant managing editor of The Sports Network and the co-host of the highly rated 'Johns on Sports' radio show on WTBQ in New York. Every Saturday from 6:30-9 p.m. (et) you can hear John along with his co-host, John Gottlieb, talk to the...
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