3 Reasons Philadelphia Eagles must extend Halapoulivaati Vaitai

1. Jason Peters’ run in Philly is most likely over.

Here’s where we all tip the cap and say thank you to one of the greatest Eagles ever. On April 17th of 2009, then-head coach Andy Reid traded a first-round pick and a fourth-round pick in the 2009’s NFL Draft and a conditional sixth-round pick in 2010’s selection meeting to the Buffalo Bills to acquire Jason Peters.

The rest, as they say, is history. Philly got a future Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee. The Bills used those draft picks to acquire center Eric Wood (28th overall) and tight end Shawn Nelson (121st overall) in 2019, and they took linebacker Danny Batten in the sixth-round of 2010’s draft.

It’s safe to say Philly got the better of that deal. Peters has gone on to survive two coaching changes and rack up seven Pro Bowl nods in Philly (and nine of them overall), while earning First-team All-Pro nods in 2011 and 2013, but due to the price tag he now commands, his injury history and his sudden decline (though he’s still better than 90 percent of the left tackles in pro football), it’s time for the ‘Birds’ to hand the reigns at left tackle to Andre Dillard.

The recently-extended Lane Johnson will remain at tackle on the right side, but the ‘Birds’ need some insurance. That brings us all to another point.