Section 215
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Philadelphia Eagles Draft: 5 Below The Radar First Round Prospects

By Benjamin Solak

Apr 28, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Carson Wentz (North Dakota State) with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected by the Philadelphia Eagles as the number one overall pick in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft at Auditorium Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 28, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Carson Wentz (North Dakota State) with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected by the Philadelphia Eagles as the number one overall pick in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft at Auditorium Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Ryan Ramczyk, OT, Wisconsin

The Eagles asked OT Jason Peters to take a pay cut. Of course they did. Per Spotrac, Peters will hit the cap for $11.2M in 2017. That’s a ton of money for a 35-year-old player with an heir apparent waiting in the wings. Peters knows that, and so does Philly. So ask him to take a pay cut.

The ramifications of this move have been discussed at length, but we aren’t talking enough about a realistic potentiality. First, Peters doesn’t take the pay cut. Next, negotiations deteriorate. Finally, the Eagles release him to recoup $9.2M.

Nobody wants Peters to walk. He’s been a cornerstone of the Philadelphia organization since he came over from Buffalo–a positive presence on the field, off of it, and in the locker room. But the NFL is a business, the Philadelphia Eagles are a business, and $9.2M can do a lot–a lot–of things for the Eagles.

If Peters is a cap casualty, do the Eagles move forward with OT Lane Johnson finally sliding over to the left and second-year player OT Halapoulivaati Vaitai on the right? I don’t know about that.

Even if Peters stays, the Eagles need a better plan at the tackle position. The 9-time Pro Bowler could retire any year now, and Johnson is one supplemental slip-up away from a two-year suspension. If everything breaks wrong, the Eagles could be starting 5th-rounder Vaitai and…

Yeah.

Well, I have a name for you: Ryan Ramczyk.

The Wisconsin Badgers’ bookend plays with fantastic athleticism and surprising power for a player with a slightly narrow frame–while he isn’t nearly the freak athlete Lane Johnson was, he does remind me of Lane in that way. Currently, under the knife with a torn labrum in his hip, Ramczyk won’t participate in any Combine/Pro Day activities, but his tape speaks for itself. He’s my OT1.

Duke Manyweather, the undisputed man for OL analysis, did a film breakdown here. Definitely worth a look.

https://twitter.com/BigDuke50/status/829574096035991553

Should the Philadelphia Eagles cut Peters, OT skyrockets in their list of needs. I’d argue it would only rank below CB. In the event they fall in love with Ramczyk, it wouldn’t surprise me if they pulled the trigger.

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