The Lito Sheppard situation just got a whole lot more interesting. With the start of training camp just days away, the unhappy cornerback has fired his longtime agents Lamont Smith and Peter Schaffer and replaced them with -- drum roll, please -- Drew Rosenhaus.
The oft-injured Sheppard is unhappy with his contract, which still has four years to run and will earn him just $2 million this season, a paltry sum compared to many of the league's other top cornerbacks. He has asked to be traded, but so far, the team has not received an offer that has been to their liking.
Sheppard and Sheldon Brown have been the Eagles' starting cornerbacks for the last four seasons. But Sheppard's starting left corner job was handed to Asante Samuel when he signed a seven-year, $56 million contract with the Eagles in March.
Sheppard attended the Eagles' mandatory minicamp after the draft, but skipped all of their voluntary camps in May and June.
Rosenhaus met this week with Eagles vice president of player personnel Howie Roseman. Club president Joe Banner was on vacation, but participated via conference call. Rosenhaus assured both Roseman and Banner that Sheppard would report to training camp on time.
"I'm trying to keep somewhat of a low profile," said Rosenhaus, who doesn't have the first clue about keeping a low profile. "We're going to keep everything real positive.
"I'm confident that we're going to find a mutually beneficial solution to this situation, and we expect things to move in a positive direction."
It's unlikely that the Eagles have any interest in restructuring Sheppard's deal or offering him a new extension. That leaves only a trade. The Eagles gave Smith and Schaffer the green light to shop Sheppard around the league, and probably did the same with Rosenhaus.
Prior to the April draft, the Eagles reportedly were looking for a high second-round pick for Sheppard. Now, that price likely is a first-rounder in the '09 draft.
The Eagles already own an extra first-round pick in '09, acquiring the Carolina Panthers' in a Draft Day deal that included their first-round pick.
CAMP CALENDAR: Eagles rookies reported to training camp at Lehigh University on July 21. Veterans are due in July 24, with the first full-squad workout on July 26. They'll break camp on August 13.
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