Packers Chad Clifton chats at 2010 Super Bowl. Could the veteran end up in an Eagles uniform?

The Eagles lost All-Pro offensive tackle Jason Peters for the season. Widely regarded as the best all-around player on the Eagles squad in 2011, Peters was lost for the season when he sustained a ruptured Achilles tendon while working out in his hometown in Texas when this occurred.

Eagles head coach Andy Reid released a statement describing the circumstances surrounding the injury.

“(Peters) alerted [head athletic trainer] Rick [Burkholder] and they quickly put together a plan of attack for his evaluation, surgery and subsequent rehabilitation,” Reid said. “We all know how much Jason loves to play the game and how much he was looking forward to the start of the 2012 season. Jason is one of the best, if not the best, offensive tackle in the NFL. We don’t know when he will return to the field and we will not speculate on a timeline. We are just going to let the surgical process and the rehabilitation process play itself out.”

The Eagles are not going to make a run at a Super Bowl without addressing this situation seriously.

Whether Peters can return to top form is a still a huge question and the reality that he may never return is the sobering thought process they must take.

The Birds must trade for a veteran tackle – Green Bay Packers Chad Clifton? – or go for a tackle in the draft.

Clifton could be available if the Packers want to move forward without the two-time Pro Bowler who played in just six games last year due to injury.

The 6-foot-5, 325 pounder may have one or two good seasons left in him. Clifton is a solid citizen in the locker room and a champion.

The Birds could also take a tackle with the 15th pick in the draft next month or move up to take the top guy to protect Mike Vick this year.

That would be Matt Kalil, the 6-foot-6, 295-pounder out of USC. Kahil is considered by most qualified observers as the one franchise left tackle in the draft but will need a year to gain weight need for the position at the NFL level.

The Eagles would have to move up into the top five to get Kahil. 

The best of the rest included Riley Reiff a 6-6, 313-pounder out of Iowa, Mike Adams, 6-7, 323 pounds out of Ohio State and Jonathan Martin, 6-5, 312 out of Stanford. All are slated to go in the first round and all could be there at No 15.

But the Eagles need to be aggressive with this. They have all the weapons offensively to make a run in 2012 and can’t afford to experiment at one of the most critical positions in football.

Reid assured fans he and his staff will do just that.

“Howie and I will sort out the roster situation for the offensive line,” Reid said in the statement. “We are glad to have King [Dunlap] back as a part of our offensive line and we will continue to scan the free agent market, also knowing the draft is less than a month away.”