Phillyvoice.com reports: The Philadelphia Eagles have approached 35-year-old long-time starting left tackle Jason Peters about taking a pay cut, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.
A couple weeks ago, PhillyVoice reported that the Eagles are going to free up a lot of cap space this offseason by releasing or trading players, as well as potentially asking Peters to take a pay cut.
• OT Jason Peters: The Eagles want Peters to return, so they are unlikely to release or trade him. However, with a cap number of $11,700,000 (highest on the team in 2017), the Eagles could ask Peters to take a pay cut or restructure. Despite a high number of false start penalties in 2016, Peters had a good season, and remains a high quality left tackle who will likely not be agreeable to a pay cut. The Eagles, however, could push the impact of his cap hit into future years with a restructure.
The Eagles could save $9,700,000 of that $11,700,000 if they cut or traded him.
I honestly feel bad for Eagles fans. Here we go again, self destruction mode. What did we learn from the Dallas Cowboys and Oakland Raiders this year? Great offensive lines breed great offenses. Jason Peters and Lane Johnson are excellent corner stones to build a solid offensive line upon. What happens if the Eagles cut him? There’s no chance in holy hell that you’re drafting a player of that caliber this year. The chips are all in Peters’ court. If a pay cut happens, it’s just him being a nice guy. Don’t be a nice guy, Jason. Get that money.
Spending 9.7 million on an offensive lineman is not the sexy choice. But, with that pay day, Peters isn’t even one of the top 10 highest paid tackles in the NFL. At that price, for his quality of play, he’s a steal!
It’s already pretty clear that Connor Barwin, Ryan Matthews and Jason Kelce will be catching a train out of town soon, as salary cap casualties. Now, fans will see their best offensive lineman leave town too.
I’m just so sorry, Eagle fans.
Maybe don’t give your backup quarterback a $21 million contract.