Bottom Line on Lito Hasn't Changed
Eagletarian's close personal friend, Drew Rosenhaus, (who could forget that sunny afternoon we spent together on T.O.'s lawn in Moorestown? I get lost in fond reverie every time someone mouths the words "next question!") checked in with me today, and I didn't even have to go to YouTube. Boiling it down for you, Drew says the Eagles got an offer for Lito Sheppard within the past few weeks, and he still expects Lito to be traded shortly.
"At least one team has made a recent trade proposal to the Eagles," Rosenhaus wrote in an email to the Daily News. "The Eagles didn't like the compensation and turned it down. I will not identify the team at this time. I think there is a very good chance Lito gets traded in the next few weeks."
Hey, I'm not rooting for Lito to remain miserable, I really like the guy. But once again, I'll be really surprised if he gets traded at this point. Back in April, before the draft, maybe the Eagles would have taken a second-rounder. Now? Well, you seriously weaken the 2008 team if you trade Lito for a 2009 pick of any sort. And indications are that the offer Rosenhaus alluded to was not for a second-rounder. Would you trade Lito for, say, a fourth? I can't see why the Eagles would do that. If he really is one of the league's best, as Drew contends (and I believe, more or less), he's worth more than a fourth-rounder next year.
Unless Lito is willing to go home to Jacksonville and sit out the year, the bottom line here hasn't changed: He'll play for the Eagles this year, show he can be healthy and productive, get traded next spring. And going home might not be a great option: The Birds won't be hurting at corner. They might just let him sit a long, long time.
Meanwhile, the700level.com has a take on the Eagles' wideout situation over the years. I don't disagree much, except I would say that key divisional rivals having superstar wideouts, such as Plaxico Burress and Terrell Owens, makes the contrast more vivid for fans. It certainly isn't impossible to win the Super Bowl without an All-Pro wide receiver, but all other things being equal, having one sure makes it easier.
