Mini camp is potential trouble for teams with malcontents
May 2, 2008
This weekend is a minefield for teams that have players they are looking to unload? Why? Well, what if Lito Sheppard pops a patellar tendon? What if Chad Johnson (in theory) showed up and ripped his Achilles? The team would be on the hook for their 2008 salary and you can bet they’d have serious trouble finding trade suitors at that point.
It’s just something to keep an eye on. Sheppard is probably the highest profile malcontent to watch. Especially considering that one of the reasons they have had trouble moving him is because of his injury history. If he busts something big, the Eagles will be praying to have a re-do of Draft weekend.
#1. You pretty much stole though entire thought stream from PFT.com, without attribution.
#2. The Eagles have plenty of cap room. While a season ender to Lito in camp would kill his trade value, it would also kill any leverage he ever will have to convince the Eagles to adjust his contract rather than make him play out the several remaining years or choose to retire.
If Lito wants a new contract, he has to stay healthy long enough for the Eagles to trade him, or play well in Philly for one more year making a better case for a raise or improving his trade value.
I saw this on PFT after I had decided to write it although I see where you are coming from. We write the same stuff as PFT quite a bit.
This is issue is the same one every year. Steve McNair went through this a couple years ago. It’s not a unique story.