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July 19, 2020

Eagles bring back Peters

Veteran will switch to guard

The Eagles have legitimate Super Bowl aspirations, but those took a hit when top guard Brandon Brooks tore his Achilles last month. They're bringing an old friend back to play that spot -- maybe insure the left tackle position, as well.

Jason Peters manned left tackle for Philadelphia for most of the last 11 years, a Pro Bowl tackle in seven of them. But the Eagles appeared set to move on from him this offseason, having traded up to draft Andre Dillard in the first round a year ago. Peters was out there for most of the offseason, but now he's back with Philadelphia.

The plan is that they'll use him at guard in place of Brooks, with Dillard starting in his old spot. But considering Dillard is unproven, Peters can also be looked at as an insurance policy if the youngster struggles or gets hurt. Fourth-rounder Jack Driscoll, a tackle at Auburn, is another possibility, either at tackle or guard. But signing Peters gives them more options.

There are questions, but even with Brooks sidelined, this might be a top-10 line. In Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson they have top-shelf players at center and right tackle. Left guard Isaac Seumalo is a solid starter. And just maybe they'll be better at left tackle, since the 38-year-old Peters had definitely slipped on the blind side.

Last season, the Eagles allowed 37 sacks on their quarterbacks, which was a little better than average. But looking at quarterback hits, only seven teams allowed more. Lots of those poor performances were by the worst lines in the league.

OFFENSIVE LINE PERFORMANCE, 2019
Team Sacks QB Hits
Oakland Raiders 2952
New Orleans Saints 2558
Baltimore Ravens 2859
Cleveland Browns 4167
Minnesota Vikings 2868
Arizona Cardinals 5069
Kansas City2571
San Francisco 49ers 3673
Pittsburgh Steelers 3278
Los Angeles Rams 2279
Denver Broncos 4184
Jacksonville Jaguars 4284
Cincinnati Bengals 4884
Green Bay Packers 3685
Chicago Bears 4586
Dallas Cowboys 2387
Buffalo Bills 4087
New England Patriots 2890
Detroit Lions 4392
Los Angeles Chargers 3493
Houston Texans 4993
Indianapolis Colts 3295
Washington5097
Tennessee Titans 5699
Philadelphia Eagles 37100
Carolina Panthers 58102
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 47106
New York Jets 52106
Seattle Seahawks 48111
New York Giants 43119
Atlanta Falcons 50136
Miami Dolphins 58147

A lot of it hinges on Dillard. If they scouted him correctly, they'll be better at left tackle than they were last year. And then if Peters successfully makes the transition to guard, they could be OK at that spot (they're paying him $3 million with another $3 million available in incentives, so they seem to think he's got something left).

Probably optimistic to think the overall line will be as good without Brooks. But if they're better at tackle and only slightly worse at guard, it could still be a top-10 group.

--Andy Richardson

3 Reader Comments:

Paul Desimone

Hayward, CA
2020-07-19T15:05:21Z
This possibility was talked about a little bit here following the Brooks article. I think it's a really sound move. The "quick-twitch" is usually the first thing to go with age, and that's what a left tackle needs in abundance. It's what Peters has lost a bit of. But he's still enormously strong, and that's of greater importance on the interior. I actually hadn't entertained the ide of Philly moving him insidea, but it's a smart move. I am targeting Wentz, so I like this a lot.

Jeff Zwiers

Bellingham, WA
2020-07-19T20:19:49Z
I believe Wentz has the capabilities to be a top-5 QB. But besides 2 TE's who does he have to throw to? Jeffery is coming off a Lisfranc injury and they are often wrongly over-looked as non-porblematic injuries. With his contract issues he might be cut before opening day. D-Jack is just lucky to still be on the team (with his anti-semitic rants) for now... he is on thin ice. D-Jack is 33 and hasn't caught more than 4 TDs in his last 5 years. Marquise Goodwin has never caught more than 4 TDs in his whole career. Greg Ward is a second-year guy with all of 28 receptions under his belt. Jalen Reagor is a smaller, downfield rookie receiver. Rookies, no matter how talented rarely put up stellar numbers, especially if they are on the smaller side. The wild-card is Arcega-Whiteside. So far he hasn't shown he can be their #1 - I think he has the size and talent to be that but we will have to see. I think the best you can hope for Wentz right now is what he was able to claw-out last year (which was pretty darn good considering the receiver decimation): 27 TDs, 7 INTs, 4000 yards. Good for only 15th in points per start.

Paul Desimone

Hayward, CA
2020-07-19T22:21:40Z
From what I've read, they've retooled not just the roster but he playbook. They've got speed at 3 points on the field with Jackson, Goodwin and Reagor. In theory, they should be tough to defend with that much speed on the field. Without a preseason, that'll be tough. But defenses need to be in-sync as well, so that part of it may be wash.
Wentz isn't an in-demand fantasy option at the moment, which allows me to add a few more pieces before addressing QB.
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