Brookover: For Eagles' Jason Peters, time is running short
A lot of players who do not really belong there are going to participate in the NFL Pro Bowl on Sunday at Aloha Stadium in Hawaii.
A lot of players who do not really belong there are going to participate in the NFL Pro Bowl on Sunday at Aloha Stadium in Hawaii.
Jason Peters will not be one of them. He was selected to play in his eighth Pro Bowl, but the assortment of injuries that dogged the 6-foot-4, 328-pound left tackle throughout the 2015 season prompted him to stay away from a ridiculous game that he has played in many times before.
It was a wise and no doubt easy decision by one of the greatest Eagles of all-time. There is no good reason for a veteran tackle to put himself in harm's way for the $58,000 that will go to the winning players in the most bogus of the all-star games played by North America's four major professional leagues.
Besides, Peters did not deserve to make this Pro Bowl on merit, anyway. He was not among the NFL's six best tackles this season. In fact, he was not even the best offensive tackle on his own team.
That's why it was at least a little disconcerting to hear the quick endorsement of Peters from new Eagles coach Doug Pederson when he talked to reporters Wednesday down at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala.
"I think J.P.'s got several good years left in him," Pederson said. "I think he does the right things in the offseason to get himself ready to go for another year."
To think that Peters has several good years in front of him dismisses the fact that his two most recent years represented a sharp decline.
Peters was good for the bulk of the 2014 season, but he faded in the final weeks with one of his weakest games coming in the home loss to Dallas that allowed the Cowboys to seize control of the NFC East.
This season, the biggest problem for the biggest man on the offensive line was his health. By all accounts, including his own, Peters spent the offseason getting himself into outstanding shape. That, however, did not prevent him from missing two critical games against Dallas and Miami because of back spasms that initially started bothering him during a Week 7 game at Carolina. In addition to missing two games, Peters also left five others early, including three of which he played fewer than 14 snaps.
Essentially, the Eagles were without their left tackle for more than a quarter of the season and that's too much time to be missed by arguably the second most important player on a team's offense. Regardless of how hard Peters works this offseason, it is clear that he is losing the battle against time.
Think about the two terrific bookend tackles who preceded Peters. Jon Runyan went 11 seasons without missing a start and then, at 36, he was out of the league, returning only for a five-game cameo as a reserve with the San Diego Chargers in 2009. Tra Thomas was equally dependable, but at 35 his career was over after he was released by Jacksonville. He had said a few years before that he wanted to play into his 40s. It was wishful thinking and lately Peters has sounded a lot like Thomas.
"I can still play left tackle," he said after the season finale against the New York Giants. "I'm the best we've got. Who's better than me in this locker room? Nobody. Who can they draft better than me? Nobody. Who can they pick up better than me? Nobody."
Defiance is a fine quality for a big man paid big money to protect the blindside of the most important player on a football team. Truth is, however, Peters' worst game of the season was the Eagles' most important one. Defensive end Preston Smith, who had three sacks in his first 15 games, registered three against Peters in Washington's Week 16 win that decided this year's NFC East race.
Maybe the Eagles can squeeze one more season out of Peters, who just turned 34 last week. But what's the point if they're not going to be Super Bowl contenders in 2016? A prudent philosophy in the business of professional sports is to get rid of a guy a year too early rather than a year too late.
Peters has three years left on his contract and the dead money for next season would be $3 million. The cap savings would be $6.7 million. It would be great if Peters accepted a move to left guard and a restructured contract, but that's unlikely given how he still feels about his ability. If he won't agree to those terms, so be it. Move on.
That would allow the offensive line's transformation to begin with Lane Johnson making the move to left tackle. Unlike the last two years in the draft, the Eagles will not ignore the offensive line. They know what a disaster Chip Kelly left them at guard and they'll try to fix the problem.
That, of course, is another story for another time. In the meantime, there's a Pro Bowl to be played Sunday and if Team Rice versus Team Irvin doesn't do it for you, Naked and Afraid and Keeping Up With the Kardashians will be airing at the same time. Check your local listings.
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