As the team went through its first practice at a post-draft minicamp yesterday, all eyes were on Lito Sheppard, the two-time Pro Bowler who isn't happy about his contract situation and seemingly has lost his starting job to Asante Samuel, an all-pro who was the team's most expensive free-agent addition in the off-season.

What the Eagles did on this day was rotate Sheppard in at both left cornerback and right cornerback. Sometimes Samuel would be on the field with the first-team defense and sometimes Sheppard would replace him. One time, the two even slapped hands as Sheppard returned to the field and Samuel left. Other times, Sheppard went in for his close friend Sheldon Brown at right cornerback and shared the field with Samuel.

At no time did any of the three run with the second-team defense.

"It was definitely awkward for me to watch that," running back Brian Westbrook said after the morning practice at the NovaCare Complex.

It was equally uncomfortable in the locker room when Sheppard said he would not have any more to say about his situation until after tomorrow's camp-ending practice. Samuel refused to step into the fire when asked how strange it was to be splitting time with Sheppard.

"That ain't got nothing to do with me," Samuel said. "I just do what my coach tells me to do. It doesn't matter what I'm used to - whatever my coach tells me to do, I'm going to do it. I was happy to be out there with my new team and show a lot of love. I like the way things are going."

Brown said that there's a chance that this could work for one season and that he expects all three cornerbacks to be with the team when the season begins in September.

"I definitely think that," he said. "We have a chance to accomplish some greatness, I think. I think it could work this year. I think it would be great. We have two Pro Bowlers."

Eagles coach Andy Reid, staying in character, pretended as if nothing was strange about the circumstances.

"We're glad [Sheppard] is here," Reid said. "Most of the guys who were out there watching practice saw how things went. He practiced very well. We have a nice rotation going with those guys. That's a heck of a secondary."

And this is how Reid envisions things being for the long haul?

"Yes," he said.

Really?

"I've done that before, so I'm not saying that I don't see that," Reid said. "That's what we're doing right now. We'll see how that works and go from there. I'm very comfortable doing that."

The coach refused to go into the details of his meeting with Sheppard.

"Obviously, it went well because he did decide to come," Reid said.

Reid said during the NFL draft last weekend that he could envision the Sheppard-Samuel-Brown cornerback situation working the same way as when Bobby Taylor, Troy Vincent and Al Harris were here. But that situation wasn't close to being similar to this one - Harris was not accustomed to starting.

"I'm not going to get into all the details, but it's different," safety Brian Dawkins said.

And what happened on the field at the NovaCare Complex was different, too.

"We'll just have to see how it plays out," Dawkins said.

Sheppard's teammates seem to feel for him.

"It's a tough situation when they bring someone in at your position," quarterback Donovan McNabb said. "As his teammate and his friend, I hope things work out well for him."

That sentiment was shared by Westbrook.

"I haven't talked to Lito about the contract thing," Westbrook said. "Like everybody else, I'm glad to see he's here. I hope that he gets it resolved as soon as possible.

"I just met Asante at the Pro Bowl this year, and I've known Lito since I was drafted, so it was tough for me to watch him doing those types of things knowing the caliber of player that he is."