Trade talks are heating up for Eagles' cornerback Lito Sheppard, with Philadelphia fielding several offers. A former Pro Bowl choice, Sheppard played poorly last season and was an off-season question mark before free agency. But with the addition of Asanta Samuel -- the top player in this year's free-agent market -- Sheppard becomes a luxury, with the club interested in peddling him. One league source said Philadelphia would take a low first-or-high-second-round draft pick for Sheppard but will hold on to him if it doesn't gain what it considers a fair offer. The draft is stocked with talented cornerbacks, but Sheppard's resume is hard to ignore. He's young. He's a two-time Pro Bowl choice. And he has a reputation for making big plays.
Posted on: March 4, 2008 8:14 am
Walker on Eagles' radar?
With Randy Moss returning to New England, look for the Philadelphia Eagles to take a long, hard look at free-agent Javon Walker. The key, of course, is Walker's health. Denver coach Mike Shanahan recently said the wide receiver's knee problems might require microfracture surgery which, if true, could take him off the Eagles' radar -- and anyone else, for that matter. But it's no secret that Walker and quarterback Donovan McNabb work out in the offseason together and that coach Andy Reid is fond of the guy. After Reid and the Eagles failed to land Moss, pursuing Walker makes sense -- especially after McNabb called on the club to add a playmaker or two. At the very least, I expect the Eagles to have Walker checked out. He insists he's OK and that he'll make someone happy this season. If true, the Eagles will be first in line to add him. Incidentially, sources close to the team confirmed that Philadelphia made a hard push to land Moss but always thought he would return to New England. Moss took less money to return to New England.
Category: NFL
Posted on: March 3, 2008 6:07 pm
Now they're truly Gang Green
What is going on with the New York Jets? Now they're spending $22 million in guaranteed money on linebacker Calvin Pace? Are you kidding me? First of all, I defy any Jets' fan to tell me what he knows about Calvin Pace, and, no, he doesn't play left tackle for the St. Louis Rams. In essence, the Jets spent a fortune on someone with a year-and-a-half of starting experience. Pace was terrific in 2007, but marginal the year before and non-existent the two years before that. So he fits the Jets' 3-4 scheme. How good is he? The Jets are paying him as if he were an All-Pro, which he's not, and don't tell me Bill Parcells' hot pursuit of the guy didn't have something to do with this. Parcells simply upped the ante, while Pace sat back and watched. Maybe the Jets got themselves a marvelous player, I don't know. What I do know is they're spending a lot of money on guys of varying abilities, and Pace is not worth what he just received. But that's not all, folks. Damien Woody with $11 million in guaranteed money? Yeah, the Jets remade their offensive line, and, yes, it should be better. It can't be worse. But look what they spent to do it, and tell me what you get for immediate returns. More important, tell me where this puts the Jets in two to three years.
Category: NFL
Posted on: March 3, 2008 5:40 pm
Moss takes the smart road
Once the Dallas Cowboys were supposed to be interested in signing Randy Moss. Then he was supposed to be interested in rejoining Daunte Culpepper. Now he's on the verge of a three-year contract with ...yep, the New England Patriots in a move that's about as surprising as trains running late. There was only one place Moss was going to go, and it wasn't to Dallas, Green Bay or the next stop for Culpepper. Moss never was happier than he was last season with the Patriots. He never was more successful, either. In New England he found the NFL equivalent of the Holy Grail -- happiness and success. There is a Hall of Fame head coach. There is a Hall of Fame quarterback. And there are Super Bowl opportuntities galore. So why would Moss leave? He wouldn't. He couldn't. He had the ideal situation, and he'd be crazy to sacrifice it for a few more million here or there. So he does what he should and what he must. He stays with the team that makes him the happiest. For once, we have a signing that makes sense instead of dollars.
Category: NFL
Posted on: March 3, 2008 3:54 pm