New England Patriots should pursue this future HOF offensive tackle
One of the best tackles in NFL history, veteran Jason Peters, plans to play in 2023, and the New England Patriots should have interest in the future Hall of Famer. With a ton of uncertainty along with their offensive tackle situation, and with a mostly dried up free agent market, the Patriots don't have a ton of places to look to bolster this unit, which is projected to feature Trent Brown and Riley Reiff as the two starting tackles.
Nine-time Pro Bowl OT Jason Peters, who is a free agent, said today he still plans to play this season in what would be his 20th NFL season. Peters started his NFL career as an undrafted free agent in 2004 in Buffalo.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 18, 2023
Well, Brown and Reiff aren't really going to keep Mac Jones all that protected in my opinion, but the Pats' interior offensive line of Cole Strange, David Andrews, and Mike Onwenu is one of the stronger ones in the NFL, which is great. However, I do think New England needs to add to their tackle situation, and the best remaining free agent just might be Jason Peters, a veteran offensive tackle, future Hall of Famer, and multiple time Pro Bowler and All-Pro.
Peters is a whopping 41 years old and would be one of the oldest players in the NFL if he were to play on a team in 2023. Well, he might have a role on the Patriots, honestly. What's nice about Peters is that he's played both tackle positions, so I think he could come into the lineup in a pinch if needed. He's played in 238 regular season games across nearly 20 seasons.
Most recently, he played for the Dallas Cowboys in 2022, appearing in 10 games with one start. He was a 15-game starter for the Chicago Bears at left tackle in 2021 as a 39-year-old. Let's be honest; he's obviously not what he once was. He's likely a lot slower than he was in recent years and probably isn't a starting-caliber player at this point, but where else could the New England Patriots turn to improve their tackle situation?
Bringing Peters in on a one-year deal to serve as the backup swing tackle would, if nothing else, provide the OL room with some veteran presence and leadership. Peters being able to hang around the league this long and at this high of a level also means he's a master at the proper technique, so I'm sure he could provide some of that knowledge to the other tackles.
Would this be a wise move by the Patriots?