The Eagles are losing some depth from their offensive line, as Halapoulivaati Vaitai is reportedly signing a five-year deal with the Detroit Lions for a whopping $50 Million .
Initially a 5th-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, Vaitai was regarded as possibly the future at right tackle if Lane Johnson was going to take over for Jason Peters at left tackle. He was pressed into playing right tackle early his rookie year thanks to Johnson's 10-game PED suspension. The next season he played a major role for the Eagles as he had to step in at left tackle when Peters suffered a season-ending injury. Vaitai well enough to allow Nick Foles to do his thing in the playoffs and help bring home a Super Bowl title. brief injury stints to Johnson in 2018 and 2019 meant some more playing time for Vaitai in those past seasons too.
For the kind of money he is getting, Vaitai now moves on and into a starting role for the Lions. The Eagles probably would have liked to have kept him as a depth option, but with other teams needed starting tackle help, it was never really plausible to be able to afford his salary demands as a backup. He appeared in a total of 55 games with the Eagles before his departure. Howie Roseman will now need to add a new versatile offensive lineman for the 2020 squad, either through free agency or through the draft. As of now, Jordan Mailata appears to be the primary backup for both left tackle and right tackle.
