Russell Shepard signs with Eagles as UDFA before the draft ended

Philly.com:

Chip Kelly likes smart players, which probably isn’t a good omen for LSU wide receiver Russell Shepard Jr. ... (Shepard's posts on) Twitter doesn’t seem to back up the Eagles’ claim that they did nothing wrong. The final round of the draft Saturday didn’t conclude until 7:28 p.m. Shepard sent a tweet out Saturday that read: “Happy today I’m a @Eagle !!! Everything happens for a reason.’’ The time stamp on the tweet was 4:28 p.m. I’m assuming that’s Central time. But that would still make it two hours before the draft ended.

 

phillyBurbs.com:

The National Football League is looking into the Eagles’ signing of LSU wide receiver Russell Shepard...It should be noted that Shepard was suspended (by LSU) at the start of last season for talking too much. He violated (LSU) university and NCAA codes by discussing an NCAA inquiry with a teammate who was scheduled to be interviewed about the same matter. This time, his loose talk could force the NFL to revoke a draft pick or two from the Eagles next year.

 

Eagles blog (BleedingGreenNation.com) on what position they most likely see Shep at:

some teams wanted to use him as a cornerback, but after watching tape, I believe he is more likely to be a kick returner and a gadget guy on offense. As a running back, Shepard is quick but tall and thin for the position. As a wide receiver, he has pretty horrible hands but will do damage on screens. His speed is not elite, but his field vision and quickness is valuable. If he makes the team, it will likely be as returner.

 

Wow...this is pretty damning. Sounds like a nail in his coffin. Good thing he got his degree!

 

This is all a damned shame. I don't really have an opinion on whether Shep was used correctly at LSU or not, but he seemed to be a die-hard Tiger who really loves our school.

I had looked forward to him maybe playing in the league for a couple of years or at least being a practice squad player for a while. All of that looks like it's out the window now and mostly because of his ignorance of how the draft works or his arrogance in believing that those rules wouldn't apply to him. I just can't see a team willing to keep him around if he's a bubble player because of this whole incident.