DraftAce Blog

Year round coverage of the NFL Draft.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Bills, Eagles Agree on Jason Peters Trade

In a trade that has been in the works for the past week, the Bills have agreed to send Jason Peters to the Eagles in exchange for three draft picks.

The Bills were left with almost no choice in the matter, but this trade is devastating to their hopes of making a serious playoff run in the near future. Peters, a two-time Pro Bowler, was developing into a truly elite left tackle. And remember, having played tight end in college, he's still perfecting the left tackle positions which he has been playing for just five seasons.

From the Eagles point of view, however, this trade is a steal. They give up a 1st-round pick (28th overall), 4th-round pick (121st overall) and an undisclosed pick in 2010. Its a decent sum, but the fact that they still hold a 1st-round pick this year eases the loss considerably. The Eagles had hoped to land an offensive tackle with one of those picks, which they accomplished. The 21st pick can now be spent on either Brandon Pettigrew or a running back (Knowshon Moreno?).

So where do the Bills go from here? The left side of their line is in shambles. Demetrius Bell (2008 7th-round selection) is their top internal candidate at left tackle. Kirk Chambers is slotted in at left guard for now, filling the hole left by the release of Derrick Dockery.

With one of their two 1st-round picks the Bills must address the offensive line. The most logical selection is to take Michael Oher 11th overall (or Andre Smith if he's available). Defensive end is still a need, put can easily be filled with the 28th pick. Guys like Connor Barwin and Michael Johnson will be realistic options in the late 1st round.

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