For years and years, the Eagles have had enviable continuity at cornerback. From Troy Vincent and Bobby Taylor to Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown, the Eagles have had their corners covered. The questions we hear and that we ask now about the cornerback positions are, in Part 9 of my analysis of the Eagles roster, position by position, ones that cause some concern.

The Eagles' secondary didn't play up to its usual standards last season for a variety of reasons, most prominently injuries to key players. Here, the focus is on the cornerbacks, and given the tone of the offseason, it could be a focus for some time.

Lito Sheppard, a two-time Pro Bowl player, was inactive for five games in 2007 after suffering a medial collateral ligament sprain in the opening game at Green Bay. So, basically, Sheppard missed parts of six games, which set back his performance, and that of the cornerbacks. When he was on last year, Sheppard was very, very on. He blanketed Terrell Owens and had a huge interception to key the defensive effort in a 10-6 win over Dallas in December. Even in the first game against the Cowboys, Sheppard provided an interception to kill a drive and give the ball to the offense.

But there were several games during which Sheppard wasn't able to move as he normally does, and teams picked on him. The defense, then, lost its shut-down presence in the secondary, and all of a sudden Jim Johnson's turnover-thirsty defense slowed its turnover production.

Sheppard, the subject of a recent television report that said the Eagles had given him permission to seek a trade, a rumor the team subsequently denied was true, is completely healthy after suffering through such a tough season. At his best, Sheppard is a terrific playmaker who has the kind of play-making ability the defense missed so much last season. Health has clearly been an issue with Sheppard, who has missed 15 games the last three seasons.

Can the Eagles count on Sheppard to get healthy and stay that way for 2008? That is a huge question the team must answer. At the very least, the Eagles must prepare themselves should Sheppard have another injury that would send him to the sidelines, because his absence was felt last season.

Sheldon Brown had a fine year, a solid year, one that began with some big plays and Pro Bowl chatter and ended with Brown's usual good performance. He opened in Green Bay with an interception, and then came up big in the weeks to follow, especially when Brown recorded an interception and then knocked down a fourth-down pass in the end zone to preserve the victory against the Jets in October.

Brown gives an honest accounting of himself every week and the Eagles feel good about what he provides on the field: Excellent discipline, good tackling and the skills to be in the right place at the right time. Brown has had his moments of struggle -- somehow, the Eagles have to find a way to contain Plaxico Burress of the Giants -- but by and large he has been a model of consistency in his time here.

With Sheppard out last year, Joselio Hanson stepped up and into the starting lineup. He started four games, played in all 16, and did a good job. Hanson is probably best suited as a nickel or dime back and an outstanding special teams player, but he has certainly come a long way in the years since the Eagles signed him off the scrap heap after his time with the 49ers.

Hanson, a restricted free agent to be, is expected to be retained by the Eagles, who have until February 21 to offer him some kind of tender to establish a level of compensation should he sign an offer sheet from another team. The Eagles have the right to match any offer sheet Hanson signs, however.

Second-year man Nick Graham didn't play much at all as a rookie and remains a bit of a mystery. He is a scrappy kid with a lot of ability and he is going to be right in the mix this year for a roster spot and playing time.

William James had an opportunity to break through and earn a lot of playing time in 2007, but it did not happen. James struggled in coverage and was bypassed by Hanson in the rotation. James started six games, many of them early with Sheppard out, and had one interception. James is slated to be an unrestricted free agent on February 29, and the speculation is that James will head to free agency.

If that happens, the Eagles need to find a replacement. Even if it doesn't happen, the Eagles need more at cornerback. They have a prospect in Tanard Davis, a speed merchant who was with Carolina's practice team, but he is raw and not a big, tall, rangy cornerback every team loves. Therrian Fontenot is a chiseled young cornerback who was with the Eagles for parts of last year as a member of the practice squad, and he impressed the team enough to be invited back.

So what is going to happen at cornerback? There are a bunch of options should the Eagles wish to add to the mix, either in free agency, through a trade or in the draft. The team has a fine tandem in Sheppard and Brown, when they are both healthy and on the field. The depth is not entirely proven, but at least Hanson has been in big games and has been productive.

No doubt, though, this is a position to watch. The Eagles need more turnovers, which means they need their cornerbacks to come up big more often.

Next Position: Safeties