Jason Peters could come at the right price for the Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers have already lost two offensive linemen this offseason. Here’s why former All-Pro offensive tackle, Jason Peters, could help.

Just a few years ago, the Steelers had one of the league’s best and most consistent offensive lines. They aided Le’Veon Bell and the run game while keeping Ben Roethlisberger upright in the pocket as well as any unit in the league. In the NFL, however, the tides can turn quickly.

Last season, this group had their worst seasons in a decade. According to Football Outsiders, the Steelers offensive line ranked 30th in run blocking and 12th in pass protection in 2019. This is a far cry from their 15th ranked run blocking and 4th ranked pass protection from just one season prior.

Losing Ramon Foster and B.J. Finney to free agency certainly doesn’t help things either. While the Steelers managed to retain Matt Feiler and Zach Banner for another season, they still have a giant hole at left guard. Here’s how they could solve it.

Former 2-time All-Pro and 9-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle Jason Peters is an unrestricted free agent this offseason. While the former Philadelphia Eagle is now 38 years old, he is still playing at a high level.

According to Pro Football Focus, Peters was the 6th ranked offensive tackle in the league last season with an overall grade of 83.4. Peters has now had grades above 80 in 8 of his last 9 NFL seasons, and 3 seasons above a 90 overall grade during that span.

Though he doesn’t solve the Steelers youth issue on the offensive line, the highly-established offensive lineman is projected to make just $7.8 million per year on the market, according to Spotrac.com. Pittsburgh could give him a two-year deal, and even push his cap number back to save money in 2020.

Peters has played only tackle in the NFL, and Pittsburgh could slide him in at right tackle. Feiler played guard for the Steelers in 2017 and offers versatility across the line. He could be a solid replacement for Ramon Foster at left guard.

This means that Pittsburgh’s offensive line for 2020, from left to right, would consist of Alejandro Villanueva, Matt Feiler, Maurkice Pouncey, David DeCastro, and Jason Peters. Not a bad group for Ben Roethlisberger to finish his career with.

The Steelers have a just a year or two left in a rapidly closing Super Bowl window, and even though Peters is getting up there in age, it’s as important as it’s ever been to keep Roethlisberger protected. If Pittsburgh could do that in 2020, they will find a way to be competitors once again.