NEW YORK — The New York Jets shored up their shaky secondary Saturday, acquiring two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Lito Sheppard from the Philadelphia Eagles for undisclosed draft picks.
Sheppard, who spent his first seven NFL seasons with the Eagles, could immediately start in a Jets secondary that ranked 29th against the pass last year despite having Pro Bowl cornerback Darrelle Revis and playmaking safety Kerry Rhodes.
“We acquired a veteran corner with Pro Bowl ability,” Jets coach Rex Ryan said. “This young man has already gone to two Pro Bowls. He is a great athlete with the top-end speed that we look for to play that position. We think he can match up with some of the best receivers in the game.”
Neither the Jets nor the Eagles announced terms of the deal, but Philadelphia will reportedly receive a fifth-round pick in April and a conditional pick in next year’s draft.
Sheppard, 27, is a former first-round pick out of Florida in 2004 and ‘06, but saw his role reduced last season as he started only three games with Asante Samuel and Sheldon Brown in the starting lineup.
“I am excited to be joining the Jets organization,” Sheppard in a statement issued by the team. “It is a fresh new start, a new coach and a new system. I am looking forward to getting back to playing top-notch football and bringing a winning attitude with me.”
When the Eagles acquired Samuel from New England last offseason, it appeared to pave the way for Sheppard to be traded. He also wanted a new contract, but Philadelphia didn’t want to redo it — and found no suitable trade offers.
After giving up three touchdowns against Arizona on Thanksgiving, Sheppard was dropped from No. 3 to No. 5 on the depth chart. He then played mostly on special teams the rest of the season.
Still, Sheppard has a knack for making big plays. He has returned three of his 18 career interceptions for touchdowns and was the first player in NFL history with two such returns of more than 100 yards.
The deal was completed Saturday after New York re-signed guard Brandon Moore earlier in the day and signed former Baltimore linebacker Bart Scott on Friday.
The Jets could add a few more former Ravens after meeting with cornerback Corey Ivy on Friday and safety Jim Leonhard on Saturday.
New York re-signed Moore to a four-year, $16 million deal a day after Pittsburgh left guard Chris Kemoeatu turned down an offer from New York and returned to the Steelers.
“At the end of the day, when it was said and done, who did they come back to and who ended up there?” Moore said. “I ended up back with the team I wanted to be with. … We worked it out at the end.”
The 28-year-old Moore agreed to terms Friday after being cut Thursday by the Jets, who were due to pay the seven-year veteran a $7 million roster bonus under his former contract.
“When it happened, I wasn’t bitter,” Moore said. “I’ve played long enough and I’ve seen people come and go and I’ve listened to people’s stories and I understand the business side of it.”
Moore, considered the team’s best run blocker, helped pave the way for Thomas Jones to lead the AFC in rushing last season. The Jets’ entire offensive line will return this year, with Moore, center Nick Mangold, left guard Alan Faneca and tackles D’Brickashaw Ferguson and Damien Woody.
“You don’t find that too often,” Moore said. “Since I’ve been here, I’ve never followed a season where the whole line starts 16 games and it’s the same guys returning the next season. … That stuff goes a long way when it gets down to playing football.”
Moore was signed by New York as an undrafted free agent defensive lineman out of Illinois in 2002 and was converted to an offensive lineman during training camp. He made his regular-season debut for the Jets in 2003, and has started 73 consecutive regular-season games at right guard since missing three games in the middle of the 2004 season because of an injury.
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