Peters gives Chip shots, praises Pederson

BY ALL ACCOUNTS, including his own, Jason Peters did not play very well last season. The $9.7 million question, which is the amount of Eagles salary-cap space he'll be occupying this season, is why.

Did age finally catch up with the 34-year-old eight-time Pro Bowler? Was it the seasonlong battle with back and quad injuries?

Or was he yet another victim of Chip Kelly's up-tempo offense?

I haven't made a secret of the fact the last several months that I favor the Father Time explanation, with the injuries being one of the casualties of his advanced age.

Not surprisingly, Peters disagrees with me. Speaking to reporters for the first time since last season following Thursday's first full-squad training camp workout, he blamed most of his struggles last season on Kelly's infatuation with tempo.

"It was rough," said the Eagles left tackle. "Especially when teams caught on to what we were doing."

Peters recited many of the same complaints that his linemate, right tackle Lane Johnson, did during the spring:

* Fatigue from playing Kelly's hurry-up style during games and practices, both in season and out. He said the team's spring OTAs were as tough as training camp practices.

"If you run the 100 (yard dash) a hundred times in a row back-to-back-to-back, don't you think by the 50th time you're going to be a little slower?" he said. "But if you go back to the huddle and get that wind, you're a little bit stronger when you go back to the line."

* A never-changing snap count and poorly-masked run plays.

"When the (defensive) guys know (the snap count) and they know what side the play's going to, it's tough," he said. "If the running back is to the left and you're running a zone read, where do you think the ball is going? To the right. It caught up to us."

* A blocking scheme that never gave the offensive tackles any help, always leaving them on a one-on-one island.

"We never got any chip help (from the running backs or tight end)," he said. "It was always one-on-one and the defensive end knew that."

* A restrictive offense that didn't allow the quarterback to audible.

"It gets your running back down," he said. "You run into that (wall of defensive players) and man, we're doing all we can (up front), but there'd be nothing there."

With the firing of Kelly and the hiring of Andy Reid protégé Doug Pederson, Peters is ecstatic to be back playing in a version of the offense in which he had some of his best years.

"I'm happy to be back playing in the old Andy Reid offense," he said. "The old ground and pound. I'm excited."

He's also excited by the fact that Pederson plans to take it a little easier on his future Hall of Famer during the week so that he'll be fresher for the games.

"It's going to be helpful," Peters he said. "Especially in this camp. Because I only have one speed. When I'm out there I'm going (full-speed). Sometimes I overwork myself. But they said they were going to take care of me. So I'm looking forward to that.

Peters said he'll probably sit out all or most of one of the team's padded practices during the week "when we're out there banging and I don't really need it. Keeping myself fresh for Sunday.

"When Chip was here, I never missed a play, never missed a practice (the first two years). I was out there every play until last year when I banged myself up.

"I just didn't feel I got enough rest last year. It just caught up to me. I'm going to try to prevent that this year."

Peters purposely lost weight last year, dropping down to 335 pounds. He thought playing at a lighter weight would be better as far as the wear and tear on his body. But he ended up missing more than 300 snaps because of the back and quad injuries, and felt defensive ends were able to take advantage of him at the lighter weight. So he has bulked up again. He reported to training camp at 345 pounds.

"I tapered down last year, but I felt it took away from my game a little bit," he said. "This year, I put on about 10 to 12 pounds. I feel real good. I feel stronger."

Peters said Pederson, who spent 12 years in the NFL as a player, has more respect for veteran players than Kelly did.

"Last year, the last couple of years, there weren't a lot of vets," he said. "And any vet that stood up and had something to say, we got rid of them.

"But Doug was a player here and he understands veteran players. He understands the game. I think it's better."

Pederson has said that he believes Peters has several good years left. Peters said he's taking it "year-to-year," but doesn't think he has lost anything.

"I feel like I still have gas in the tank," he said. "You can watch me out there and watch some of the younger guys. You can be the judge. As long as I'm healthy, I'm going to be out there and I'm going to be a dominant force.

"Before I got hurt last year, I wasn't getting beat. But at the same time, you're one-on-one every play. Those guys get paid too. They're going to win some and you're going to lose some."

Last season, Peters lost more battles than he ever had in his career. The left tackle made a point of talking about how well he played against defensive end Robert Ayers in the Eagles' finale against the Giants, which is true.

But a week earlier, he gave up two sacks to Redskins rookie Preston Smith.

"Not to give any excuses, but I was 75 percent (healthy)," he said. "I was giving it everything I had, and he beat me a couple of times. But when you're one-on-one like that (in Kelly's offense) and they know what the play is, and the times he beat me was on play-actions."

Howard Mudd is one of the best offensive line coach in league history. In 2011, when Mudd coached the Eagles' o-line, Peters had the best season of his career.

Mudd is retired now, but watched several Eagles games last year. He saw the drop-off in Peters' play. Saw it start the season before.

"He's getting older," Mudd said. "When you pass 30, sometimes Father Time starts getting a hold of you and you're not as athletic.

"People age at different rates. They just do. Not just athletes. People do. You look at someone who's 74 like I am, some people that age look like they're 50. It's just genetic.

"In pass protection, I equate it to guarding the basket in basketball. You get a guy out in space and, even Michael Jordan wasn't as slick when he was 32 as he was when he was 22."

Mudd remembered how Peters ate up the Giants' Jason Pierre-Paul in 2011. "He would jump right in his face and take him out of it," he said.

He remembered how DeMarcus Ware, then with the Cowboys, would move to the other side of the line rather than go mano a mano with Peters.

But Peters was 29 years old then. In his prime. He no longer is.

Maybe he'll benefit from the new offense. Maybe he'll benefit from an easier schedule during the week. Maybe he'll benefit from putting on those extra 12 pounds.

Or maybe Father Time is just too tough of an opponent.

@Pdomo

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