However, maybe just maybe this is the opening the Eagles and Jason Peters needed for a reunion in 2020. I know this is somewhat of a long shot, but the Eagles could view Peter's as their most seamless replacement even if it meant a position switch in his last hoorah with the Eagles. Now I am probably biased toward believing Peters can make this transition look easy, but I am sure there are plenty who will be skeptical.
Let's take a look at a few comparisons. Geoff Schwartz a former NFL player who retired a couple years back played primarily right guard and right tackle. If you read an interview he did he says "If an offensive tackle has good hands, generally has good movement skills but might lack some foot quickness to play tackle, then moving inside could be productive." Okay now Peters may not be the athlete he once was due to age and injury, but he still makes some others look slow. His hands, and footwork have never been issue. Schwartz goes on to say the harder switch is going from left to right or right to left. Well looking at the career arc Peters has taken since his junior year in college it's quite apparent to me switching sides will be of no issue. Peters played tight end in college, requiring him to be adept at blocking on both sides of the ball. It was noted that during his last year in college he had 3 times as many knock downs as a blocker than he did receptions. 61 versus 21, he began positioning himself as an offensive lineman, which was smart after leaving college at 6'4 322 lbs, going into the draft with the most natural transition being to right tackle. He eventually went undrafted but was signed by the Bills who very intelligently seeing his potential gave him 2 years to develop into a true tackle. He started off playing as a blocking tight end, which helped him learn the offense but not ask him to jump straight into playing tackle. He was also listed as the backup at right tackle, and used on special teams as a blocker, and wedge buster on kickoff team. In short Peters showed he would do anything for the team.
Peters eventually seized the right tackle job, after the 2005 year in which he started 10 games at right tackle. He started the 2006 season as the right tackle before offensive line coach Jim Mcanally decided to shuffle the o line moving left tackle Mike Gandy inside to guard, and Peters to left tackle. Peters went from solid right tackle to probowl left tackle in a hurry. In short Peters has simply been successful everywhere he plays, so why not bring him in, and give him a shot to play right guard.
There are several examples of aging tackles moving inside to guard when they begin to lose quickness because typically a veteran offensive lineman will know the nuances of the footwork and hand fighting needed to make a move work. Mike Gandy is actually an apt comparison for this. Gandy came out of high school an under accomplished tight end in terms of receptions but displayed the mobility, and strength to play offensive line in college. He committed to Notre Dame, where he followed a similar path of development as Peters, he played as a blocking tight end, before eventually having a cup of coffee on the defensive line. Ultimately he landed at guard. He would miss his entire sophomore year rehabbing an injury but also studying the playbook. He would play two more years with Notre Dame building enough notoriety to be drafted in round 3 68th overall. Inexplicably yet somewhat productively the Besrs immediately played Gandy at left tackle his first two seasons before shifting him to right guard his final season in Chicago. He played 2 years in Buffalo playing left tackle the first year, then left guard the second year before ending his career at left tackle with Arizona. Starting 48 games for them.
Cordy Glenn is a more recent example. Coming out of college he had started 28 games at left guard, 18 games at left tackle, and 4 at right guard. He came into the NFL ranked as the #2 tackle, however The Bill's selected him an opted to play him at left tackle to replace Jason Peters who had been traded to the Eagles. Glenn would go on to play 7 years ateft tackle for the Bill's before being included in a trade with several draft picks to the Cincinnati Bengals. Glenn then started at left tackle for one year before the Bengals drafted Jonah Williams in the first round. Then the Bengals asked Glenn to move to left guard. Where he played until Williams suffered an injury and Glenn shifted back over to tackle. Almost the exact role that Peters would play for Philly.
He will be lining up next to Lane Johnson and Jason Kelce. Could you ask for a more solid right side of an offensive line? Maybe Peters doesn't play well, okay if that's the case you are back to square one, with younger players like Matt Pryor. Peters then simply provides depth at tackle at that point but still gets to retire an Eagle.
Really at this point its a win win situation that we need to put in motion now.
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