The Philadelphia Eagles should re-sign Jason Peters to play left tackle

If the Philadelphia Eagles bring back Jason Peters it should be to play tackle.

A lot has been said – and written – about a potential reunion between Jason Peters and the Philadelphia Eagles since his departure from the team back in March – with said chorus amplifying considerably due to the season-ending injury suffered by All-World right guard Brandon Brooks.

In theory, the idea tracks; Peters has been playing for Doug Pederson since his first tenure with the team as an offensive assistant back in 2009 and at 38-years-old, may view a position change as his best chance to extend his storied career into his 40s.

If Peters comes back this fall, he’ll certainly be one of the Eagles’ five best offensive linemen regardless of age. Heck, it’s hard to argue Peters wouldn’t bet the Eagles’ third-best lineman behind only Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson, which is why the Eagles should bring him back, and bring him back at his natural position: Left tackle.

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Yes, you read that correctly.

I know, I know, the Eagles just traded up to select his heir apparent, Andre Dillard, in last year’s draft and could use whatever money they’d have to commit to Peters to instead pay an external upgrade, extend a home-grown talent, or even roll over into 2021, but really, are any of those moves going to improve the Eagles right now?

Say what you will about Dillard – personally, I’m a fan – but his performances last year were anything but consistent. Chalk it up to an expansive rookie learning curve going from Mike Leach’s air-raid offense to the more varied responsibilities of playing tackle in an NFL offense, but Dillard’s average value of 3 was among the worst marks of any player on the Eagles who started four or more games – tied with players like Hassan Ridgeway, T.J. Edwards, and Sidney Jones for second-worst behind only JJ Arcega-Whiteside.

Peters, by contrast, earned an average value of 7 according to Pro Football Reference, which ranked him in the top 10 of the Eagles’ starters alongside Johnson, Brooks, and Kelce.

But, you may ask, what is the difference between a player with an average value of 3 and a player with an average value of 7? Well, I’m glad you asked.

In 2018, Isaac Seumalo had an average value of 4. That season, he only started nine of the 13 contests he appeared in, was called for two penalties, and gave up a single sack. In 2019, Seumalo’s average value jumped to 7 despite surrendering four more sacks and being called for four more penalties. Why? Because he played every single snap and performed well both against the pass and against the run as the Eagles’ unquestioned starting left guard.

Could Dillard make a similar jump from replaceable to solid in 2019 with a full offseason locked into the role without a true challenger for his spot? Most definitely, anything is possible, but you’d have to assume the Eagles selected not one, but two Auburn offensive tackles in the 2020 NFL Draft for a reason, right? Wouldn’t it be better for everyone’s peace of mind of Peters returned to his tried and true spot for one final season? If anything, an extra season of Peters would just give Dillard more time to grow into his position.

Does that fix the Eagles’ right guard woes? Obviously not, but that’s like being upset that trading for Darius Slay won’t help the Eagles’ pass rush. Isn’t any improvement to the team’s overall roster composition just that, an improvement?

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As grim as it sounds, Brandon Brooks’ season-ending injury should serve as a grizzly reminder that literally any and every NFL player is one snap – or offseason workout – away from catastrophe. While the Eagles could go through the entirety of the 2020 season with Andre Dillard locked in at left tackle without skipping a beat, bringing back Jason Peters for one more ride is a minimal move that requires almost a shuffling of the cards and could at least put one more body between starting 2020 sixth-round pick Prince Tega Wanogho at left tackle – a situation that, again, could go well, but really, who wants to risk it?

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