Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh recently predicted that Terrell Suggswill be "great" in 2013 after being limited for most of last season by his surgically repaired Achilles tendon.
Another formerly elite player is just as optimistic that he will recapture pre-injury form after rupturing his Achilles tendon twice last offseason.
Five-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman Jason Peters, arguably the NFL's premier left tackle in 2011, revealed to Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia on Tuesday that he's been "100 percent" since January and could have played had the Philadelphia Eagles reached the playoffs last season.
Already cleared for full participation in offseason practices, Peters believes he will return to that elite level this season. Doctors have told him that his Achilles tendon will be "98 percent" of what it was pre-injury in a "worst-case scenario."
After new coach Chip Kelly put his team through a "real up-tempo" walkthrough Monday, Peters said he will drop his playing weight from 340 pounds to 320 this season.
"I'll be ready for whatever coach throws at us," Peters said. "Whether we run 100 plays or 60."
The Eagles will need rebound performances from the entire offensive line if Kelly is going to be successful in his transition from college to the professional ranks. No lineman is more important than Peters, who is far from returning to his former All-Pro form at 31-years-old while coming off a devastating injury.
Follow Chris Wesseling on Twitter @ChrisWesseling.
