Evan Mathis has been mentioned in trade rumors after the Philadelphia Eagles reportedly but him on the trading block and teams like the Miami Dolphins, NY Giants, New England Patriots, Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings could be in the mix for a deal, as all could use an upgrade at various spots on the offensive line heading into the 2014 season.
The Eagles have made some major personnel moves this offseason and trading Mathis would be another one of those, as the team has ditched DeSean Jackson after his best season in the NFL and they also traded for Darren Sproles from the Saints. Chip Kelly already put his stamp on the team as head coach last season after taking over, but now he is really reshaping the team in his image and that is one reason why Jackson is gone and a reason why Mathis might be at some point this offseason.
Mathis is reportedly on the trading block due to his high salary and this comes after the Eagles paid both Jason Peters and Jason Kelce this offseason. Mathis is coming off of a Pro Bowl year and he had one of his best seasons two years ago as a top rated guard and now he is looking for more money or a better contract after signing a five-year, $25 million deal a couple years ago. Kelly was looking to get rid of Jackson for his $10.5 million salary (and other reasons) and Mathis is in the same boat, as he is making $5.15 million in 2014 and is 23 years old.
The Eagles were one of the best rushing teams in the NFL last season and that was I part due to Mathis and now Kelly is looking to ship him out after ditching Jackson. The release of the wide receiver was shocking but not surprising, as he has had maturity issues for years and if he missed meetings and wasn't a hard worker and setting a good example for young players,. It's hard to blame Kelly for ditching him. Kelly has a distinct style and clearly if someone goes against that they are going to be pushed out of Philly and that's what happened with Jackson and now it could happen with Mathis.
The Miami Dolphins could be an interesting option, as they have totally reshaped their offensive line from last season and ditched Jonathan Martin and Richie Incognito and they brought in both left tackle Branden Albert and guard Shelley Smith. Adding Mathis to that mix makes sense for the team and they have money to spend in that regard and while a trade could hurt, the Fins really need to fix their line.
The team ranked 26th in the NFL in rushing last season and now that they have added Knowshon Moreno, putting together a strong offensive line will only help the rushing attack. The Giants are in the same boat and they had a mess of an offensive line last season and after signing Geoff Schwartz and JD Walton, this could be another move for Jerry Reese.