Answering Questions

RE: Peters and his contract

You have to examine the whole situation. Peters was a UDFA. He got on the field a bit in 2004, but not much. BUF knew they had a steal, though. He started 10 games in 2005 and has been a fixture at LT ever since.

Not only was Jason a LT, but he was good. Now this guy was was making beans because he was undrafted. The Bills gave him an extension. They paid him better, but still not great money. Then the Bills went and signed some FA OL to huge deals (Dockery, L. Walker). They were making more money than Jason, but not playing LT and not playing as well.

Jason legitimately made the Pro Bowl in 2007. His ego went on red alert and he wanted a new deal. From his point of view there is some sense. He's the best OL playing the most critical position. Yet, he's making half or 2/3 of what a couple of overpaid veterans are getting.

Jason sat out all summer in 2008. He missed the opener. Jason returned after that (didn't have much choice). His play was all over the place. He wasn't necessarily fat and out of shape, but he was out of football shape. That led to the sacks and mediocre season. He did get voted to the PB, but that was a joke. When Jason is ready to go, he is a terrific OT.

This isn't a case where TO got a very good deal in 2004 and then wanted a great deal 12 months later. Jason signed a 5-year, $15M deal in the summer of 2006. A year later the Bills gave Derrick Dockery a 7-year, $49M deal. Clearly Dockery wasn't going to get all of that, but I think you can see why Jason would be ticked off to a certain extent.

Jason does have some crazy salary demands, but you wonder if those aren't in part to get out of Buffalo. We'll find out soon enough.


RE: OL roster spots

We've carried 9 and 10 OL in the past. Either 7 or 8 will suit up on gameday. There is no set amount of players that have to be kept. You can go light at RB and heavy at WR or reverse that. You can keep a lot of OL or go with as few as 8 if you keep a couple on the Practice Squad. I tend to plan on the Eagles keeping 9 OL.

There are 3 STs spots. That leaves 50 spots for offense and defense. Sometimes it is 26-24, but other times will be 25-25. Keep the best 53 players.


RE: Paying Peters

I think the Eagles would pay good money to a LT they like. Go back to the decade of 1988-1997. That was a dark set of days for us at LT. We had some tough guys who played hard, but we didn't have good players out there. Bernard Williams offered hope in 1994, but decided smoking weed and playing basketball in Georgia was more fun. Tra Thomas showed up in 1998 and has given us stability ever since. The thought of adding a guy who would man LT for 5-7 years is very enticing. We have the money to spend.


RE: DL and roster spots

I'll write about that stuff between now and the draft.
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