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Howie Roseman on Jason Peters: 'We certainly want to have him back.'

Jason Peters started all 16 games for the Eagles at left tackle in 2016 and earned his ninth Pro Bowl appearance. He played better this season than he did last season, and expressed a desire to continue playing. But Peters will turn 35 later this month and will count $11.2 million against the salary cap next season.

The Eagles would save $9.2 million if they cut Peters, and they've already planned for Life After Peters by giving Lane Johnson a contract extension that counts at least $10 million against the salary cap in each of the next four seasons. If Peters plays for the Eagles in 2017, the Eagles would be allocating $21.2 million of their salary cap space on their starting offensive tackles.

But after the way Peters played this season, it would be difficult to move on from him.

"The first part with Jason Peters: We started this press conference talking about Brian Dawkins [as a Hall of Fame finalist]. I have no doubt at some point we'll be saying the same thing about Jason Peters," Eagles executive Howie Roseman said Wednesday. "He has really ingrained himself as a leader of this football team. Anyone who watched us play saw the impact he has on the game. We certainly want to have him back."

Peters has done too much for the Eagles for Roseman to say otherwise, but Roseman didn't specify at what price they want Peters next season. That will be one of the key questions this offseason.

The Eagles are going to need to find a way to open cap space. Other players would seem to be in more danger of being cut or forced to accept less money – Ryan Mathews and Connor Barwin, for example. But anytime a 35-year old offensive tackle counts $11.2 million against the cap, there will be questions.

There's also the question of what Peters wants to do. His career already puts him in discussion for the Hall of Fame. But Peters has not won a playoff game, and that remains a motivating factor.

"At the end of the day, [Wentz has] a lot of upside and I'd definitely come back to try to protect his blind side," Peters said. "I really want a ring. I'd be sad to play all these years and not even be close."