Lito Sheppard on his way out?

ESPN just continues to fuel the Philadelphia Eagles rumor mill. The latest news comes out of their show NFL Live, where John Clayton reported that the Eagles have given Lito Sheppard permission to seek a trade. Sheppard is currently in the midst of an 8 year deal that he signed in 2004. It looks like Sheppard wants to cash in with a new deal, something that the Eagles will not do. They never restructure a players deal, especially when it is only 2 years into an 8 year pact.

This news certainly gives some credence to all the rumors that the Eagles are looking to pick up one of the top free agent defensive backs available, like Asante Samuel or Marcus Trufant. If they don't plan on picking up one of those big names, then this move makes no sense. Yes, Lito is injury prone, but he is a two-time Pro Bowler, and when paired with Sheldon Brown they make one of the best cornerback duos in the league.

Just like the rest of the rumors that ESPN has been spouting out about the Eagles this off season, let's wait and see what happens. Teams would be interested in Lito, and they might be willing to give up a couple of high draft picks for him. Free agency starts in eleven days, so hopefully this cloud of rumors will begin to dissipate then.