The Eagles are making a change along that offensive line, starting Jordan Mailata at left tackle and moving Jason Peters to right guard, according to a report from NBC Sports Philadelphia.
The move means Peters will be making his first start at right guard in his 17-year career this Monday night against Seattle. Mailata, who has been mostly on the bench since Peters returned, will be back at left tackle.
The decision seems to indicate that the Eagles, at 3-6-1, are starting to put one eye on the future as opposed to having all of their focus on winning the division this season.
If so, that is likely a wise decision.
Getting Mailata reps at left tackle and figuring out if he can be the long-term answer at the position will give the team some key information for this offseason as they try to answer some tough questions. Do they need to prioritize the left tackle position, or is Mailata the answer? Is Andre Dillard still in the picture? The Eagles will begin to get those answers over the next few weeks.
As for Peters, he returns to the position he spent training camp trying to learn. It will be interesting to see how Peters plays in his first action ever at right guard. There is an argument to be made that playing Peters even at right guard is a waste of snaps, considering they could be playing one of their young guards like Nate Herbig or Sua Opeta instead.
Regardless, the decision to move Peters to right guard might be the first step the Eagles make this season with an eye on 2021.
The questions is whether it will be the last.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!
