Lito is coming to camp

by JasonB on May 2, 2008 3:05 PM EDT in News Comment 7 comments

Strong indications are that Lito Sheppard does indeed plan to attend the Eagles' mandatory minicamp this weekend.

Sheppard has been awaiting a trade that has not occurred and does not seem imminent. He could be fined if he were to sit out the minicamp, the only mandatory gathering for veterans until training camp starts in late July, but players trying to force trades or get contracts revised often use minicamp attendance as leverage. Although Eagles coach Andy Reid hinted last weekend that a revision of Sheppard's contract isn't out of the question, no such discussions are known to have taken place.

Had Lito now shown up to this mandatory minicamp, he would have been on the hook for a $14,000 a day fine and could be forced to pay back part of his signing bonus. So, not a big surprise he's here.

Frankly, what he and/or Reid say this weekend should reveal a lot more than just his attendance does.

0 recs | Comment 7 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Pay him.

Unless it looks like we can get one of those top WRs out there, which is looking less and less likely, we should just kick him a one time bonus. If paying him a little more will placate him for this season it works out well for both sides.
We are going to need to have a great defense to even stand a chance in the NFC East this season. Having 2 lock down cornerbacks will go a long way to making that defense outstanding.
Besides that Lito’s trade value is obviously pretty low right now and the Eagles have a tendency to only go for deals with in the end leave them with a much greater value. Clearly that is not what they are seeing from the Lito offers these days. Pay him now so he plays confident and motivated. If he plays well we win games and his value/trade potential go way up. It’s a win win.
On the flip side if we don’t pay him and this drags on and becomes some stupid hold out or god knows what this can devolve into it will result in losing games, poor performance, and an even lower trade value.

by Ivan Bravo on May 2, 2008 3:26 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I don't know...

I think reworking Westbrook’s deal is more of a priority than Lito’s. But why would we pay him more money after the season he had? If anything, I could see them potentially working out a new incentive-laden deal, but with Lito’s injury history I doubt he’s getting a straight raise.

I’m glad he’s coming to camp. Lito never struck me as the hold-out type. Maybe he still thinks a trade is in the works.

by ajay on May 2, 2008 3:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Pay him.

I cannot agree with you more. We need to have the best defense that we can so I feel that Lito should be payed more along with Westbrook and Brown. Why not give a bonus to all of them before the season.

Or ajay a incentive laden reworked contract would also work. I feel that Westbrook is more important, but CB is really important. Don’t forget what our D could do when we had Harris, Taylor and Vincent. We could possibly have the same situation this year.

by topcat6 on May 2, 2008 3:49 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Umm...

Guys—under what grounds does Lito deserve a new contract? Because he says he doesn’t like the one he has now?

“Boss, I know that quite often when it really matters I’m not around.

And when I am there, I’m often impaired.

But for about a third of each year I’m really good. So I want a raise.”

Yeah, that sounds sort of goofy. The Eagles are not going to give him more money—I’d be willing to bet Banner would even laugh at that notion.

Lito doesn’t have any leverage. If the Eagles aren’t able to get anything of impact in return for him now, Lito is going to have to perform at a high-level, injury-free this year. Then they can talk about something else.

www.sportsdork.com

by BFH on May 2, 2008 3:57 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I don't think he's earned it either

Bleeding Green Nation - Philadelphia Eagles Blog

by JasonB on May 2, 2008 5:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Same here

I don’t see what logical argument he could make about a pay raise. Now after 2006 he could’ve said, “Hey I just made the Pro Bowl for the second time in two years.” Even that is iffy because he had just signed his extension two years prior. But coming off an injury-plagued season he decides to ask for a new contract? How exactly has he “outperformed” it? Westbrook, on the other hand, has been breaking franchise records left and right the past two seasons. If anyone deserves a reworked deal it’s him.

by ajay on May 2, 2008 5:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Pay Westbrook. The man deserves it. At this rate he’ll be run out of the league without getting the pay he deserves.

If we pay Lito, then we have to pay Brown. I don’t think we need to do that. They signed a decent contract back in 2004. It’s not like they’re working for peanuts. Maybe after a good year they’ll have earned a new contract. For right now, though, I don’t think they have any leverage.

Destroyer of Subject Lines :3™

by yomjoseki on May 3, 2008 10:52 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs