Lito blasts the Eagles
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Lito blasts the Eagles
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
Lito Sheppard is happy to be getting a new start with the New York Jets, but that hasn't stopped him from ripping his former team, the Eagles, in an interview with Bob Glauber of Newsday.
Sheppard said the Eagles purposely limited his playing time last season to send a message and to justify the signing of free agent Asante Samuel.
"After my second Pro Bowl season [in 2006], it started going downhill when I addressed the fact that I felt like I wanted a new deal," he said.
"I truly believe that if they paid me and they paid Asante at the same time, and if I had a pretty good year, then people would have asked, 'Then why would you bring in Asante?' They had to keep me at a minimum in terms of play time."
Sheppard's friend and ex-teammate, Sheldon Brown, has of course voiced his displeasure with his own contract this offseason.
And Lito expects his buddy to experience a similar cut in playing time.
"I talked to him and told him it's the same thing I was going through," Sheppard said. "I already know what the outcome is going to be.
"He ultimately won't even be playing before the end of the season. It's a known fact. I hope they prove me wrong."
I've heard this argument before, and frankly, I think it's ridiculous.
Can you really imagine Andy Reid or Jim Johnson playing an inferior player just to send a message about a guy's contract? What if it cost the team a game?
Their job is to win, and in my opinion, they make personnel decisions with that always being the primary focus.
Obviously, Sheppard feels differently.
"I wish the league would do something," he said. "[In my situation], you feel like you're doing everything right, perfect teammate, working hard, doing everything you're supposed to do, but it doesn't work out in the end. There should be some rules of guidelines. You shouldn't be able to devalue an employee like that."
Of course, Lito did not say that players should give money back if they don't play up to their contract.
"It's like injuries," he said. "You can't cut a guy when he's hurt, so how can you sit a guy without probable cause? Whenever a guy feels like he needs a new deal, if he addresses that, don't make it like, 'You don't tell us what to do. We have to show you who's boss.' That's dead wrong."
So what do you think? Does Lito have a point?
Lito, show how the Eagles made a bad move by going to the pro bowl. (second rd. pick for us).— bigphillydad- Bye Bye Lito FFS Have a good year with the Jets— Mitch
- Lito..ooooh, OOOOOOH. OOOOOHH!!!!!!!!!!— Huge
- It amazes me that these guys think they are underpaid. Their egos must be gigantic. I have no sympathy for any of them. In fact, I have less sympathy for these bozos than I do for the many stock brokers that were sacked this past year - and I hate those overpaid buggers.— chollie
- If only Lito's body worked as well as his mouth.. he might have a been Taylor or Vincenteske.... Lito goes down with Izel Jenkins..— albertpa
- Had AR and JJ continued to run that skater out there they would have been negligent in their jobs. He says he started asking for a renegotiation after the 06 season. Lito missed 4-5 games EVERY season from 05 through 07. Last season HE quit on the team and the team immediately started winning once AR stopped running him out there hoping that the football player in him would step up. I won't go so far as to call him scum...but his play and actions last season sure merit that title. I've lost all respect for him as a football player and anything that he has to say isn't worth a hill of beans.— hope55
Comment removed.- Lito Shepherd a legend in is own mind.. Pro Bowl...2006 we are 2009... Asante samuel did well Lito was a dog either hurt or sulking!!— Philly-d-kidder
- lito why the jets trying to bring in pacman if you so good?you got booted from philly cause you cant play hurt— soliteryman
- All coaches are selfish, they want to win. If he was good enough to start, he would have been on the field more last year. He missed the fact that the Eagles didn't find him to be as good as he thinks. Prove them wrong or shut up. And don't sign the contract if it isn't any good.— hawk18
- Who fell down in the end zone and was scored on in the Super Bowl?— jmargo23
- Comment removed.
- I wonder if Lito has a wife. If so, she should be very worried. Lito might want to renegotiate the original deal (vows).— ndmcconn
- punk— chucknduck
- YOU ARE WRONG>>> SHELDON WILL DEFINITELY BE SITTING THIS SEASON... LOOK at Michael Lewis, Lito...Reid and the front office would do it. IN the NFL EVERYONE has talent. Anyone can come off the bench and play as good as the starter. at the end of the day its a business. And the eagles play cheap— livesinphilly
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