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Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Eagles' Sheppard a no-show

Cornerback Lito Sheppard was not on the field as the Eagles began the first session of their organized team activities this afternoon.

The sessions, which continue through Friday, are voluntary so Sheppard cannot be fined for not attending. They continue with four days next week. Sheppard could sit out these sessions and still attend training camp, which he would be fined for missing.

As has been well-documented, Sheppard is upset with his contract and also with having lost his starting job to free-agent signee Asante Samuel, the Eagles' most significant offseason addition. 

Sheppard's agent Peter Schaffer declined to comment when contacted by the Daily News regarding Sheppard's status.

Backup offensive tackle Scott Young also was a no-show.

Eagles coach Andy Reid said he was not surprised by either player's absence, saying their agents had been in contact with the team. Asked specifically about Sheppard, Reid said, "That's his decision."

"The guys that are here are getting extra practice time," Reid said, perhaps indicating that both players might have put themselves in jeopardy -- Sheppard in terms of starting ahead of Sheldon Brown and Young in terms of making the roster.

Reid, however, did note that he "appreciated the attendance" and was going to "concentrate on the guys that are here," adding "99 percent of the team is here and working."

The only mandatory sessions for veterans was a three-day minicamp last month and Sheppard attended all the workouts.

Cornerback Sheldon Brown said he has been working out with Sheppard and said he did not know in advance whether Sheppard would take part. Brown also noted that these sessions are optional.

Asked whether he expected to see Sheppard at Lehigh, Brown said, "Oh, yeah," indicating that was because players can be fined for missing training camp.

The Eagles have insisted that a three-cornerback rotation with Sheppard, Brown and Samuel can work. Sheppard was not concerned about that, however, when he spoke to reporters at the end of the last minicamp.

"That's not for me to worry about, man, I just play football," Sheppard said. Asked whether the rotation in minicamp matched his expectations, Sheppard said: "I don't have any expectations. Like I said, I just play football. "

Posted by Josh Barnett @ 4:50 PM  Permalink | 22 comments
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Comments
Posted by Bama 01:35 PM, 06/03/2008
Here we go. The Eagles can say these are voluntary, but if everybody except Sheppard is in camp he is still going to be a distraction. The Eagles are terrible at personnel relations. They blew the T.O. episode (now a happy Cowboy until 2011) and they have blown this one too. Their management style is still early 1960s when it was management by intimidation.
Posted by downtownreggiebrown 02:02 PM, 06/03/2008
They blew it already? What are you talking about? T.O. messed that up, not the Eagles. You're reacting way too strongly to something that in the long run means nothing. If you ran a business and your employee who makes millions didn't show up for an office party.....yeah exactly... it just means nothing
Posted by wildebill 02:30 PM, 06/03/2008
Is number 5 working on the height of his passes? The Eagles need to supply new spikes to all the receivers and tight ends due to excessive wear from the football.
Posted by Bama 02:38 PM, 06/03/2008
I do run a business. If I have a disatisfied employee, and it is somebody I want to keep in the organization, I find a way to address their concerns. I do not say, "You have a contract. Like or lump it." That doesn't work in the 21st century. I disagree that T.O. blew it. Why can he now be a good productive citizen with the Cowboys? Good management can get the most out of every employee. One hard-nosed style doesn't work in every instance.
Posted by BirdmanCD2000 02:47 PM, 06/03/2008
Why does every team get bent outta shape over OTA's? They're called voluntary for a reason!!!
Comment removed.
Posted by MVKrum 02:59 PM, 06/03/2008
yeah Bama because the NFL is run just like your flower shop. There are ways business is handled in the NFL and it doesn't involve redoing 5 year contracts after 1 year. NOBODY does that. TO just signed a contract EXTENSION which is a totally different thing.
Posted by shoeshineboy 03:00 PM, 06/03/2008
Scott Young is still upset with his false start penalty in the playoff game against New Orleans.
Posted by biggipper 03:02 PM, 06/03/2008
Bama, how may of your employees are complaining about the 7 year contracts they signed after completing the first year? Further, if you were the liberal you are and tore it up for a new deal, how soon until all other employees were knocking down your door wanting the same thing? In hindsight, it was ugly, but it was mostly about Drew friggin' Rosenhaus wanting his 20% since it was the last bumbling fool of an agent who negotiated the 7 year deal.
Posted by John621 03:08 PM, 06/03/2008
Bama, here's why T.O.'s a good productive citizen right now. Drew Rosenhaus is making money off him. The only reason for Owens' antics with the Eagles was because when he changed agents, Rosenhaus wouldn't make a dime until they renegotiated. He manipulated Owens into getting himself thrown off the team, so he could be the agent of record for the next contract. It's that simple.
Posted by Nzenaozo 03:11 PM, 06/03/2008
Bama. I think you are just overreacting.......you run a business, good but this is different. Pray you never get into this situation in your business but if you happen to find yourself in such mess, you deal with it carefully. Yes, EAGLES FO didn't deal with TO's issue like it should but the player didn't help the matter also. Now enter Lito, he is not happy so will all his colleagues be if he gets what he wants cos some of this players signed their contract before some other mega-deals for their mates. In order to deal with this issue so you it doesn't create a ripple effect, you have to thread on it carefully. This issue is more like threading on a bunch of thorns in the pathway. So retract from delusional world and face a real business world. Not to offend you but different business issues require different approach and what works for your business might now work for other businesses in the same field you are in. Just don't go out yapping about the FO yet!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by songsrme2 03:54 PM, 06/03/2008
at 1st I bought in to the excuse of why this cheap franchise did not re-up T.O. But the way they're treating Lito proves that was a crock of crap. T.O. was on to something when he said this franchise does not appreciate athletes that perform well unless it's the quarterback. let's see the list..Bobby Taylor,Troy Vincent,Jeremiah Trotter, T.O.,Brian Westbrook,L.J. Smith, Sheldon Brown and Lito Sheppard. All these players have proven their worth to us and we appreciated there service by helping to build that cushy stadium Lurie have cashed in on. At least treat your players like men. EAGLES SUCK!
Posted by BigAndHeavy 04:03 PM, 06/03/2008
BigGipper...just a heads up, NFL agents only are able to receive between 1% and 3% of a players NFL contract under the rules of the collective bargaining agreement. Now, if Rosenhaus negotiates an endorsement deal with Nike or another company, he can receive a bigger percentage.
Posted by splat 05:08 PM, 06/03/2008
Please! Time to say good-bye to B-Dawk. Move Sheldon to safety and have Samuel and Hanson as corners. Trade Lito and 1 of our 3 first rounders to 'zona for Boldin! "Championship"-- Take that Spadaro!!!
Posted by splat 05:11 PM, 06/03/2008
Hey Idiots!! This is pro football, there is no such thing as "voluntary". Grow up!!
About The Daily News' Eagles Blog
Les BowenLes Bowen has covered the Eagles for the Daily News since 2002. Before that, he spent nearly 13 years covering the Flyers. It took Les only a few seasons after the switch to figure out that there was no penalty box at the Linc, and that the time really wasn't his, despite what Andy Reid kept saying. Les came to Philadelphia and the Daily News from Charlotte in 1983. In the intervening years, he has pretty much lost track of NASCAR, and his accent. He, his wife Barbara, and their two sons live in Haddon Township, New Jersey.

Rich HofmannRich Hofmann arrived at the Daily News in 1980 for a job whose status was officially designated as "full-time, temporary." A senior at Penn at the time, he was hired to fill in on the copy desk during a staff illness. The notion of him covering the Eagles or being a columnist did not exist in anyone's imagination. It was supposed to be six weeks and out, but he never left. It is only one of the reasons why so many people have concerns about him as a potential house guest. Rich has blogged the postseasons of the Flyers and Eagles.

Paul DomowitchPaul Domowitch has been with the Daily News since 1982. He has spent most of his 26 years at the paper covering the Eagles and pro football. A native of Wilkes-Barre and a graduate of Wilkes University, where he spent 3 years as the sports editor of the school paper and zero semesters on the dean's list, Domo came to the Daily News from the Fort Worth (Tx.) Star-Telegram, where he covered some very bad Texas Ranger baseball teams. His first beat at the Daily News actually was boxing, which he covered just long enough to lose two sports coats to blood spatter before moving on to football. Domo and his wife Shelley, who is a University of Oklahoma grad and is dangerous to be around following a Sooner loss, have been married 27 years and have raised 2 terrific daughters – Allison, 23, who attends Boston University School of Law; and Amy, 21, a sports marketing major at Clemson. When he's not writing about football, Domo enjoys reading Robert Parker, John Sandford and Harlan Coben novels and playing pickup basketball when his arthritic hip doesn't object.

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