By Nicholas Billy
Here we are at the end of Week 7 and the dominant Eagles lose their most valuable asset on their offensive line in Jason Peters. Peters suffering a torn ACL and MCL has been placed on IR. Where does this leave the Eagles and how do they rebound from such a devastating loss? It is almost impossible to replace someone like Peters especially when he is responsible for protecting Wentz’s blindside, but as many coaches preach it is time for the next man in line to step up. The Eagles are currently looking at their options who seem to be Halapoulivaati Vaitai, Lane Johnson who is their current right tackle or at multiple veterans for free agency.
Halapoulivaati Vaitai- Is in his second season with the Eagles after being drafted in the 5th round out of TCU, you could make the argument that going with Vaitai could be the best option especially if the Eagles take the long term view. With Peters being 35, one can assume the Eagles are preparing for life without him eventually. Having Vaitai step in and getting all the reps at left tackle should help him develop and it gives the Eagles a look at what he can do moving forward.
Lane Johnson- Johnson transitioning from the right side to the left side would make the most sense for the Eagles because Johnson has played left tackle before. It would be a smooth transition because Johnson has the skill set to play left tackle. The Eagles have already said that their plan to keep Johnson on the right side but Vaitai struggles, Johnson could make the move over after this week. Besides, I am sure Doug Pedersen and general manager Howie Roseman would feel a lot better knowing that they have an experienced tackle protecting their young quarterback.
Signing a veteran is probably a last resort. The Eagles would probably opt to sign a veteran, swing lineman that can play guard and tackle. They wouldn’t be looking at a veteran who can just play tackle. Their seventh offensive lineman on game needs to be versatile.
Either way you slice it, replacing one of the best left tackles of this generation will not be easy. Just ask the Browns. They have to figure out a way to replace Joe Thomas. That is even harder.