Philadelphia Eagles: signing Taylor Hart is the right move

(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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As speculation ramps up that the Philadelphia Eagles will trade for a veteran tackle, the team quietly signed Taylor Hart. Here’s why this was the right move.

Losing perennial Pro Bowl left tackle Jason Peters is obviously a huge loss for the Philadelphia Eagles, but the team may have found a way to supplement the tackle position with a familiar face.

In 2014, the Eagles selected Taylor Hart, one of Chip Kelly‘s Oregon guys, in the fifth round as a potential fit for former defensive coordinator Bill Davis‘ 3-4 base defense. While the young lineman never really established himself as a potential franchise player, he did get a pretty sweet hit in on former Cowboys‘ quarterback Tony Romo, which is always nice. But as the Eagles transitioned back to a 4-3 defense under new head coach Doug Pederson and defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz in 2016, Hart’s role on the team essentially disappeared. After splitting the season between San Francisco and Philadelphia, Hart finished 2016 with only one tackle, and his career in the NFL appeared to be over.

Well, at least on the defensive line.

Hart and his agent made the decision to move across the trenches, in an attempt to transition from defensive tackle to offensive tackle, a fairly daunting task, but one that has been done before. In fact, two former Eagles, Alejandro Villanueva and Brian Mihalik, both started their NFL careers on the defensive line before being converted to offense by the Pittsburg Steelers.

And in limited action during training camp and in the preseason, Hart actually showed some promise in his new position.

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While playing mostly against third-string defenders late in the games, Hart actually looked like he pretty natural at his new position. His 6-foot-6, 300-pound frame looked right at home alongside players who had been playing the position for all of their lives, and his athleticism at the position screamed developmental prospect.

This is the kind of upside player the Eagles should be taking a chance on, not a 30+-year-old veteran with a bloated contract. And the best part is, the team didn’t even have to give up any draft capital to acquire Hart.

Unlike Joe Staley, the name the Eagles have been most closely linked to since Peters went down, Hart is young, athletic, and on an incredibly flexible deal, one that won’t handicap the team after the 2018 season.

Hart’s signing also all but confirms that the team is committed to giving former fifth-round draft pick Halapoulivaati Vaitai the first crack at their open tackle spot, a position that many believe he is the ultimate heir apparent to take over in the post-Peters era. Even though he is far from a finished product, the former TCU Horned Frog has shown promise in his first 14 games as a pro, a trend that should continue as he gets more and more comfortable with his linemates.

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While some fans, myself included, may have preferred the team to have called up former LSU Tigers’ tight end-turned-tackle Dillon Gordon from the practice squad, the addition of Hart should be lauded as it falls in line with the team current next man up philosophy, and gives the Eagles a quality, young player who already knows offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland‘s blocking scheme.