Andrus Peat

Peat’s free agency process will be very fascinating to watch. He’s been a Pro Bowl alternate twice at left guard, but he may have shown enough for interested teams to try and recruit him as a left tackle. If he’s strictly viewed as a left guard, Peat should entertain offers in the range of $10 million or more per year — that’s what Joel Bitonio ($10 million), Ali Marpet ($10.825 million), and Rodger Saffold have each earned. Andrew Norwell set the market with a $13.3 million annual salary, but but it’s tough to imagine Peat reaching that height.

But if tackle-needy teams think Peat is able to start at left tackle? Then the floodgates really open up. The NFL is starving for better blockers on the blind side, leading teams like the Houston Texans to make blockbuster trades in search of better protection. While Peat has not outplayed Terron Armstead as the principle backup in New Orleans, he’s probably better than a handful of starters around the league. And if Nate Solder can land a $15.5 million per-year payday from the New York Giants, there’s no telling just how much Peat might earn in a bidding war.

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