As you saw on Tuesday, the Philadelphia Eagles signed Jason Peters again for a year. Heading into his 17th NFL season, Peters will play guard duty for the first time, or at least that’s where the team has included him. More specifically, he will complete in RG to replace Brandon Brooks, who ended the season with a ripped Achilles.
The money
The Peters deal was widely reported to have $ 3 million in guarantees, and is worth up to $ 6 million. The details will eventually come out, but on the surface it appears to be a reasonable deal for Howie Roseman and the Eagles’ main office.
Depth
Yes, Peters is playing an initial role, and it will probably be an update on former presumed initial favorite of RG Matt Pryor, but it also helps in terms of overall OL depth. Before Peters ‘signature, the Eagles’ OL depth chart looked like this:
| LT | LG | C | RG | RT |
| Andre Dillard | Isaac Seumalo | Jason Kelce | Matt Pryor | Lane johnson |
| Jordan Mailata | Jack driscoll | Nate Herbig | Jack driscoll | Jack driscoll |
| Prince Tega Wanogho | Sua Opeta | Luke Juriga | Julian Good-Jones | Jordan Mailata |
| Keegan Render |
With Peters back, it now looks more like this:
| LT | LG | C | RG | RT |
| Andre Dillard | Isaac Seumalo | Jason Kelce | Jason Peters | Lane johnson |
| Jason Peters | Jack driscoll | Nate Herbig | Matt Pryor | Jack driscoll |
| Jordan Mailata | Sua Opeta | Luke Juriga | Julian Good-Jones | Jordan Mailata |
| Prince Tega Wanogho | Keegan Render | Matt Pryor |
What are the differences? There are obvious and subtle differences.
• Improvement in RG: As noted above, Peters will likely be an update on Pryor as the initial RG. Earlier this offseason, we take A detailed look at the three games Pryor played in during the 2019 season. The conclusion I drew from that exercise was that Pryor is best suited as a backup, and perhaps only on guard. His size and power are good, but if he had to start multiple games, opposing defensive coordinators would seek to put him in situations where he would be forced to try to manage speed and speed. There is less concern with that with Peters in place, even if he is moving to a new position.
• Andre Dillard bust insurance: Throughout this offseason, it was speculated that Peters might return, although it was in the context of returning to start in LT instead of Dillard, not RG. There’s really no way to sweeten it: Dillard was bad as a rookie. This offseason, Dillard has stepped up a bit, which should help with his anchorage issues against power in 2019. It will be determined if he can be a substantially better player in 2020.
Having Peters in place allows the Eagles to hand over the initial reins to Dillard in LT, while also being covered in case Dillard just isn’t doing the job in Year 2. They can have their cake and eat it too.
If Dillard plays well, great! If you hesitate and have to be sent off the bench, it’s best to find out about your makeup now so LT can be a focus for the team next offseason, but at least they’re covered in the short term.
• Better depth in LT (and maybe RT?): Even if Dillard is an acceptable starting LT, is Peters good to have it as LT depth, and maybe even RT too? Is that a stretch? For example, if Lane Johnson gets hurt, for example … If you’re Doug Pederson or Jeff Stoutland, would you feel more comfortable with Jason Peters on RT and Matt Pryor on RG, or, for example, Peters on RG and Pryor, Jordan Mailata or rookie Jack Driscoll on RT? Peters being on the list gives the team more options.
• Less load on Driscoll: As we noted last week, due to the short season shortened by COVID, Eagles unlikely to try to train their rookies, and instead will allow you to focus on one position initially.
The only exception is likely to be Driscoll, out of necessity. Before Peters’ arrival, the Eagles may have felt they had to prepare Driscoll to play three different positions: LG, RG, and RT, while perhaps also giving him the opportunity to compete with Pryor for the initial work of RG.
Now Driscoll can forget about RG, and the Eagles can make him focus on RT, or a combination of RT and LG. The bet here is that they will allow you to focus on RT.
You know, Peters really plays RG?
Your guess is as good as mine, although the transition from tackle to guard is not a super daunting task. Older offensive linemen commonly make that transition, and Peters is such a smart player and natural physical monster that there is little reason to doubt his ability to adapt. However, he’s not only moving from tackle to guard, he’s also shifting from left side to right side, adding an extra level of difficulty.
Yes, Peters is very old, but he has been for five years, haha. The bet here is that it will work out from now until the start of the regular season.
Veteran mentor
And then of course keeping Peters in the locker room is always a great thing. As noted above, Peters is a threat to Dillard’s initial role in LT, but Peters has also generously guided young players throughout her career, including Dillard. Peters can continue to take Dillard under his protection, while his mere presence should also keep Dillard motivated not to lose his job.
It will be fun
The idea of Kelce, Peters and Johnson, three players who will be Eagles legends when their careers end, all playing together on the right side of the line, looks like it will be fun. I mean, right?
In general, it is difficult to find any problems with Peters returning to the team. Everything feels very positive.
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