Bills should lock up Peters long-term

By Connor Byrne  |   Friday, May 12, 2006  |  Comments( 3 )

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Wednesday, the Buffalo Bills and starting offensive tackle Jason Peters, a restricted free agent, agreed to a one-year, $425,000 deal. Peters was an exclusive rights free agent, which meant the Bills were the only team that had any access to signing him. Thus, staying with the Bills seemed like a mere formality for the 24-year-old.

One of the true steals of the undrafted class of 2004, Peters signed with the Bills and immediately became a major impact player for Buffalo's No. 1 special teams unit in the NFL. His year was highlighted by a blocked punt in a December victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. Other than that, former Bills head coach Mike Mularkey also lined up the former Arkansas star as a tight end, since that's what he played in college.

2005 was truly Peters' year to burst onto the scene at a specific position. He began the season in a reserve role, but eventually became the most stable offensive lineman on the Bills' roster. Prior to earning his spot at right tackle, Peters was utilized by Mularkey in a tackle-eligible tight end role around the goal-line and in short yardage situations. His most memorable moment of the season came in the opening game, a 22-7 victory over the Houston Texans. Peters was at the receiving end of a one-yard touchdown pass from quarterback J.P. Losman, which helped propel the Bills to one of their few wins of the season.

After about two months of sitting behind Mike Williams, the ex-right tackle for the Bills, Peters stepped into the position because of an injury and excelled. On an offensive line jam-packed with follies, Peters brought a great deal of stability to the table. Rarely was he embarrassed by an opposing defender, and penalties from the 328-pounder were scarce. It was only his first year playing on the line, so he was certainly a project, but he did more than enough to prove himself.

With the 2006 season looming larger as each day passes, Peters is expected to start at right tackle. However, there's an outside shot that line coach Jim McNally will play the youngster at the most important position on the line, left tackle. The team currently has stable veteran Mike Gandy there, but McNally may opt to flip-flop the duo, moving Gandy to the right side and Peters to the left. However, that scenario will play out as the summer months wane.

Since Peters has the most upside of any of the Bills' current offensive linemen, it would be in the team's best interest to find a way to lock up the big man in a long-term deal. GM Marv Levy hasn't necessarily said anything either way about locking up Peters, but he may very well be working on it behind the scenes. Many view the Bills' line as mediocre at best, and if they want to stay afloat in the future, retaining Peters' services might be the way to do it.

It would be unwise of the Buffalo Bills' front office to allow Peters to test the free agent waters next offseason because he very well could find a lucrative contract. He's unknown to most, but a player similar to him, Kyle Kosier, was paid $16 million this offseason by the Dallas Cowboys. However, in recent years the Bills haven't necessarily been adept to paying that kind of money for offensive linemen, which may be cause for concern in Buffalo. Peters may follow Kosier's lead and earn a fairly large contract in return for adding steadiness to a team's line.

Contract talks aside, one thing's for sure, Peters should continue to improve his already-solid game next season. Young players with major upside only get better, especially with good coaching, which the Bills have in McNally and his assistant, Larry Zierlein.

Get more Jason Peters insights at Realfootball365.com

--Connor J. Byrne can be reached at cbyrne@realfootball365.com
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CommentsComments: 3  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
David Heldwein		12:25 PM
05/12/2006
Right on The Bills need to spend money on both lines. Starting with Peter's Not reciever, quarterback or Saftey. Dominate in the...
No.2
Brian Dombrowski		09:50 PM
05/17/2006
I agree, the Bills need to pay Peters. He like Terrence McGee is a diamond in the rough that the Bills can't afford to lose.
No.3
Tanessa		01:59 PM
09/22/2006
Yes, I agree he is a great asset to the Bills and has brought them to more than one victory, I say pay the man he has worked hard...
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