Howard Mudd has been coaching NFL offensive linemen for 36 years. He has tutored a lot of good ones, but before Andy Reid coaxed him out of retirement last January, he never had to give much thought when somebody asked him to name the best player he ever coached.
Walter Jones.
Jones was the Seattle Seahawks' left tackle for a dozen dominating years before retiring after the '08 season. Went to nine Pro Bowls. Almost certainly will get voted into Canton in his first year of eligibility.
Mudd only coached Jones for 1 year, but knew greatness when he saw it. The fact that he was up in Seattle last year when the Seahawks retired Jones' jersey tells you the kind of respect and admiration he had for the guy.
Mudd never thought he'd see another left tackle as good as Jones. But 13 games into his first season as the Eagles' offensive line coach, Jason Peters has caused him to reconsider.
While it has been overshadowed by the Eagles' disappointing 5-8 record, Peters, a four-time Pro Bowler, is having the best season of his career. Right here, right now, he is the best left tackle in the NFL.
"Oh yeah, I really believe that," Mudd said this week. "If anyone doesn't think [Peters is the best left tackle in the league], I would categorically ask them to give me one who is as good. I didn't say better. I said as good. So that puts him in a pretty rarified place.
"The only other guy I've coached who's like him is Walter. That's it. He's got remarkable talent. Balance. Athleticism. Strength. He's so fast. You've seen him lead screens and things like that. It's kind of awesome really the physical talent that he has."
Peters has flourished under Mudd, which is a little surprising because when Mudd took the Eagles job, some wondered whether Peters was a "Mudd kind of player." It was said that Mudd preferred smaller, more athletic linemen as opposed to the big-bellied mashers that Reid and Juan Castillo seemed to favor.
But while Peters is 6-4 and weighs in the neighborhood of 340 pounds, he also might be the best athlete on the Eagles.
"To be that big and be as athletic as he is, it's unbelievable," left guard Evan Mathis said. "To sum him up as an athlete, he's light on his feet. To say someone who's what, 345-350 pounds, is light on his feet is really not something you ever hear. But he can move.
