Los Angeles Chargers: Jason Peters deserves a look
The Los Angeles Chargers have shaken up their offensive line to move in a new direction but signing Jason Peters in the short term could help the cause.
The Los Angeles Chargers will be entering a new decade in a relatively new city in a brand new stadium. For the first time since 2006, they will also have a brand new quarterback.
The Chargers moving on from Philip Rivers at quarterback ushers in a new era of Chargers football. With the team trading starting left tackle Russell Okung to the Carolina Panthers for multiple time Pro Bowl guard Trai Turner, it was seen as a step in the right direction.
While the acquisition of Turner provides some much-needed stability in the interior of the offensive line and, by a lot of accounts, is seen as not only a positive for the Chargers but somewhat of a fleecing of the Panthers, it does leave the Chargers with a hole at left tackle.
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It’s very likely the Chargers can fill this need with their to-10 pick the tackle-heavy 2020 NFL Draft, it’s also just as likely the Bolts try to find Rivers’ replacement there. Enter Jason Peters.
The 38-year-old Peters is far from the player he was in the prime of his career and his gargantuan, yet aging body has led to nagging injuries and a myriad of early exits from games over the last few years with the Eagles. In fact, Peters was injured during the majority of the Eagles’ 2017 Super Bowl run. However his impact of late goes far beyond his on-field production.
Yes, he is still a very solid left tackle but his role as a mentor is what would greatly benefit the Chargers. With the departure of Rivers, the Bolts find themselves without that veteran leader in the locker room. Peters, healthy or not, has been that person in the Eagles locker room for the last decade.
The young Chargers offensive line, which seems like it’s always in the bottom half of NFL rankings, can benefit tremendously. Someone like Forrest Lamp, a former second-round pick that the team was once high on but has failed to see any meaningful playing time, is a perfect candidate for someone that Peters can take under his wing and help groom.
This was something that Peters did for a plethora of players in Philadelphia, particularly Lane Johnson.
If the Chargers do bring in Peters, for a most likely bargain price, he will not only help the young guys but give the aforementioned Turner and the returning Mike Pouncey, another veteran to work with on the line.
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Fingers crossed the Chargers can stay healthy, a troubling tale that is as old as time and the team’s offensive line issues. While the current state of Peters’ body may not be the best way to ensure that, the low-risk, high-reward status of such a signing could really pay off in dividends for a very young and very talented Chargers team ready to bounce back.