Whether it is Joe Banner or Andy Reid or Tom Heckert in front of a microphone, the question is asked: Are the Eagles planning to trade cornerback Lito Sheppard before, during or after the draft? And each time the question is asked, the answer is the same: Offers are on the table and the Eagles are considering their options.

Well, the options are simple, and they are complicated. And as the draft races ever closer, the urgency of the answer intensifies. What are the Eagles going to do? I think it is a situation that can go either way, and in both cases the Eagles have to make sure, more than anything, that they make the decision that helps this football team.

This isn't about brightening the mood of a player who is reportedly unhappy with his contract. Fact is, Sheppard hasn't said a word on the subject and has wisely been silent about anything regarding his future here or his current situation. It's out there, it has been widely discussed and the presumption is that Sheppard wants to re-do a contract that he signed during the 2004 season, just two years after the Eagles made him a first-round draft choice. I'm here not here to talk about the contract, or Sheppard's state of mind. What matters here is that whatever the Eagles decide to do has nothing but a positive impact on the team for 2008 and beyond.

The Eagles have a great situation at cornerback right now. As it stands at this moment, the defense can trot out two Pro Bowl-caliber players in Sheppard and newly-signed Asante Samuel, as well as a really good player in Sheldon Brown. Joselio Hanson is the perfect fourth cornerback -- he can cover in the dime and help on special teams. Leaving this position alone would allow the Eagles to have the deepest set of cornerbacks they have probably ever had, and easily one of the best groups in the league.

But if a team is out there offering value for Sheppard, the Eagles have to consider their next step. Giving him away is not an option. If Sheppard is, indeed, unhappy, well, that's something he would have to work out. He signed a lucrative long-term deal only a few seasons ago and, while he has been in the Pro Bowl twice in his career, Sheppard has also had trouble staying on the field the last few years.

Sheppard's focus should be on getting healthy and staying healthy and helping this football team, and hopefully that is his focus.

For the Eagles, the time is ticking on what to do next here. It's difficult trading veterans in the NFL these days. Teams have to work out deals, and often the team acquiring the veteran then has to work out a new contract with its newest player. Plus, how do you determine the value of a player who has been to the Pro Bowl in two of the last three years, yet who has missed 14 full games and parts of others in the same time span?

Very tough. 

And that's why the Eagles are taking their time making the right decision. Simply trading a player just doesn't help a team. Getting another draft pick? Sure it helps, but the Eagles already have 11 draft picks, so how much can another pick help them?

Maybe there is something cooking behind the scenes. Surely, that is almost always the case in the NFL. There is no deadline here, although most in the media and many fans believe the draft is the imaginary line in the sand, the weekend when the hourglass empties.

I'm not sure what is going to happen here. Banner talked about it the other day and seemed very at ease with the Eagles' options. Keep him, and the defense has a great picture at cornerback. Trade him, and there are several attractive deals that have been discussed.

Either way, the Eagles have to make sure they are doing what is best for the team, and not trying to appease a player or make a rash judgment. What is good value for a player like Sheppard? Is there a valid reason to trade him at all?

What is best for the Eagles? If they trade Sheppard, they are clearly not as strong at cornerback. If they keep him, they've got some real talent at the position and can cover any group of wide receivers in the league.

We'll know soon, I guess. The draft weekend could get -- will get -- very, very busy and there is a chance a lot of deals are flying around then. Sheppard's name will be mentioned. The best move is the one that makes the Eagles a better team -- now and in the future.