It's Always Something with the Eagles

Seriously, what the hell?  The Eagles go out and sign a Pro Bowl cornerback (just stating the facts) who happens to be the biggest name in Free Agency 2008 and now we all have to worry about what this means for the future of the Eagles' current Pro Bowl cornerback, Lito Sheppard.

Why does it always have to be like this with this team? 

I'm trying to remember, but I think the last moment of pure, no-strings-attached team happiness has to have been sometime early in the 2004 season.  Since then, we've had:

• What we now know to be significant friction between McNabb and Owens even during the regular season that year.
• The Super Bowl loss / mess / endless source of cheap shots for people who want to bash McNabb.
• The disastrous 2005 season.
• The bittersweet 2006 season.
• And the schizophrenic, underachieving 2007 season.

Frankly, I'm a little tired of this.  Eagles fans should be doing CARTWHEELS right now, looking at what is arguably the finest cornerback threesome in the National Football League.  Instead, we're wondering:

• Why Lito has already been benched before the ink on Samuel's contract was dry.
• Why Sheldon Brown is talking about himself in the third person: "I have no idea. I haven't spoken to anybody. It would have been nice, if [Samuel] is going to be Sheldon Brown's teammate, for them to give me a chance to meet him."
• And, most importantly, what Andy Reid was thinking when he allowed someone to take this picture:

Look, I'm glad they signed Asante.  As Jim Johnson pointed out today, Samuel brings the ball skills that most of the other players in the Eagles defense lack.  But why can't we just leave it at that?

So really, what's the deal with Lito?  Is it his contract?  Did he tell the team he would be a holdout this year if they didn't give him more money or trade him?  Are we really going to trade one of the league's better talents at a position of significant importance when he's signed at such a reasonable rate for basically the rest of his career?

Dammit, if we trade Lito, it had better be for something good.  Screw draft picks, I want a player who's been in at least as many Pro Bowls as Cowboy Killin' Lito Sheppard.

Andy Reid generally knows what he's doing.  I hope that's the case this time.

Comments

[John]

Couldn't agree more. Why wouldn't they keep all the corners with the possibility of moving S. Brown to safety? When the inevitible injury occurs to Lito, Sheldon will be available. Plus the fact that when Lito ran back that reception at the Linc at the end of the Cowboys game on '06 I promised to name my first child after him. I would feel really awkward about that if Lito were playing for another team.

[BGNJason]

I love that Sheldon Brown quote... That made me laugh out loud.

[ShouldaTookRickyWilliams]

No more than a half hour after Asante got signed my roommate sent me a text about rumors of sending Lito and some picks to Arizona for Fitz. I told him to leave me alone.

[juggadore]

"andy reid generally knows what he's doing."

can i remind you of the punt returner situation in the preseason and first game last year?

how bout playing kearse all those games when he sucked?

or darren howard

or letting rod hood go for will james

or trading their first round pick to the freakin cowboys for less than what the 49ers gave the patriots a couple picks later(jeffrey lurie negotiated that deal, by the way, with jerry jones. they all had a laugh about it later).

derrick burgess

simoneu

sean consodine

keeping rashard lewis and damon moore over clinton hart

argh. im gonna stop now.