With New England cornerback Asante Samuel poised to put his name on the dotted line for the highest bidder, the Pats will need some help at the cornerback position.

And one of the rumors making the rounds is that the Patriots are interested in Eagles cornerback Lito Sheppard.

The only problem is that Sheppard officially isn’t on the market.  When rumors broke last week of a possible trade, the team denied that Sheppard has received permission to seek a trade.

But that doesn’t mean trade offers and inquiries won’t come in.