Jason Peters Update

Posted: March 5th, 2020 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | Comments Off on Jason Peters Update

Jason Peters has been the left tackle of the Eagles since 2009. One of the big questions this offseason is whether Peters will return, retire or protect the QB of a new team. We got some news on that front today.

Peters isn’t gone, but this certainly lowers the odds of him coming back to the Eagles.

Left tackle is one of the most critical positions in football. Peters might be 38 and a declining player, but there will be a market for him. Peters is still an above average player.

You can’t count on him to start all 16 games. You can’t count on him to play every snap. There will be false starts and he’s going to miss some blocks these days. But a team would get a solid player and a great leader. Peters would be an upgrade at LT for multiple teams.

The Eagles and Peters agreed to stay in touch during the free agent process. I found this to be a bit odd. Does this mean the Eagles do have interest if the price is right? Breaking up with the one you love is never easy.

There has been a lot of talk recently about Andre Dillard and whether the Eagles were ready to make him the starting LT. This announcement would certainly make you think the team does have faith in Dillard.

This is a complex situation for a few reasons. Peters is one of the greatest Eagles of all time. Moving on from a guy like that who still wants to play is never easy.

The team drafted Dillard in the first round last year to be Peters successor. Dillard started four games as a rookie. He was awful in his only start at RT. Just as bad, he seemed to focus on the difficulty in the week leading up to that game.

It is one thing to acknowledge something is difficult, but it felt as if Dillard was talking himself into failing before the game ever got there. There are times when you have to embrace a challenge. You need to focus on how you can get it done, not obsess on how likely you are to fail.

Playing OT is hard. You need the right mindset to succeed in the NFL.

Dillard was much better at LT, but still was up and down. He has terrific feet and shows real potential as a pass blocker, but he must anchor better. He really struggles with power rushers. They can push him around.

Dillard has the physical tools to be a good starting LT. He needs to get stronger and work on his game, but the potential is legit.

Does he have the mindset and mental toughness to make it in the NFL? Dillard isn’t the first rookie to have ups and downs in his first year in the league. Jeff Stoutland is a tough, but supportive coach. Jason Kelce, Brandon Brooks and Lane Johnson are all tough, veteran teammates. They can help Dillard adjust to life as a pro.

Isaac Seumalo has had his share of ups and downs, but he’s become a good starter. He battled through the tough times. You can bet Stoutland and the veteran players had a lot to do with him becoming a good player.

Stay tuned for more updates on As The Left Tackle Turns.

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With Peters likely on the way out, the Eagles had to bring back somebody from the Reid era.

Marty coached with the Ravens from 2015-2018, but he was out of football last year.

Doug Pederson wanted to bring in people with a variety of backgrounds. Rich Scangarello has time under Kyle Shanahan. Andrew Breiner comes from the college world and has a strong knowledge of the RPO game. Now you get Marty, who spent a year with the Greg Roman/Lamar Jackson offense. Pederson values that.

“I think from that standpoint it helps from an ideas perspective – how they used Lamar, what they were doing with their tight ends. The run game is a little different and unique than what ours is,” Pederson said. “From that standpoint, having that information and knowing that structure can enhance what we’re doing by bringing an idea or two from that system.”

Marty won’t be coaching a specific position. He’ll be an offensive analyst. Pederson can use him to handle a variety of tasks, depending on what the Eagles need done at that point.

Some people worry about too many cooks in the kitchen (as the saying goes). As long as the coaches have defined roles, they can make this work.

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