I am surprised by Sheppard staying....with the year he had this year he can only play himself out of draft position. And with what happened to Charles Scott this season should also have played in. Its GREAT that he is staying and he could be that Jack Hunt type field general for the defense this year...just would hate to see something happen to a guy that COULD very well be playing on Sundays!
This is great news. One of my biggest concerns was Sheppard leaving. I look for him to have a huge year next season. He's also going to be instrumental in leading the defense and getting the younger linebackers up to speed.
That's great news. It is always nice to see talented players stay on. I hope that we can use him effectively, and I think he can be an effective leader for the other LB's. Dare I say he can be great in a 3-4?opcorn:
i just don't see it, is shep that much bigger than Highsmith or Trev Faulk? I honestly don't think he would have been drafted high at all, maybe 6th or 7th round, if he has a solid senior season i could see 4th.
Word is his requested draft grade was around that area but nothing can be said for certain because it would largely be dependent on the NFL combine if he did declare.
In terms of juniors declaring this year, I think the ones that stay in school this year are making a very smart move. With no collective bargaining agreement for the NFL, there will almost certainly be a player lockout. It remains to be seen what the 2010 NFL season will look like as a result. Remember the replacement player season in the NFL (anyone really remember Sean Payton playing QB for the Bears)? There could be a season brevis, replacement season, or no season at all. The lowest percentage possibility is that a deal will be struck and the NFL will have a "normal" season. The juniors that opt to stay in school will benefit from larger college football audiences and, hence, more exposure and notoriety. That will indirectly translate into more money for them.
