The Miami Dolphins are expected to look hard at free agent Evan Mathis heading into training camp this summer and the team also has players battling to stay on the roster, including Josh Freeman, Rishard Matthews, Tommy Streeter, Mike Gillislee and McLeod Bethel-Thompson and this comes as players like Jarvis Landry, Lamar Miller, Jordan Cameron and Greg Jennings are working to step up for Ryan Tannehill.
Mathis has been on the radar for the Dolphins all offseason and Miami was one of the teams interested in trading for the guard before his release. Mathis was released by the Eagles after asking for a raise from his contract and now he is on the market and could end up making more money than he did in Philly. According to the Miami Herald, Adam Beasley reported that Mathis said that his "options" will be "clear" when training camp gets closer to starting.
Earlier in the offseason Mathis's agent Drew Rosenhaus said that there were numerous teams looking into signing Mathis. The Denver Broncos, NY Giants, Atlanta Falcons, Miami Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers have all been mentioned in reports, while the Seattle Seahawks and Oakland Raiders also could be options. Mathis reportedly is not being targeted by the Rams after they came up earlier in the offseason and with camps starting to open in the next week or so, Mathis could find work soon.
Mathis was rated as one of the top guards in the league by Pro Football Focus over the past two years and the Eagles decided to move on over money. The Herald reports that Miami is a strong fit, as they have a need at guard, but the team doesn't want to get into a "bidding war" for Mathis, as they have limited cap space moving forward. The team has not had anyone step up to take the guard jobs, but Mathis could step in and help give strong depth to a group with Jamil Douglas, Billy Turner and Dallas Thomas.
The Dolphins have other issues coming into camp to work out, including the battle at third string quarterback with Josh Freeman and McLeod Bethel-Thompson. The team also will have some questions at wide receiver, as DeVante Parker will miss camp with a foot injury, but he is expected to be ready for the season. The team is hoping that Parker will be ready, but if not the newly signed Tommy Streeter or Rishard Matthews could step up and be a depth option behind Greg Jennings, Jarvis Landry and Kenny Stills until Parker is ready to be back.
Matthews reportedly wanted to be "cut or traded" earlier in the offseason, but now it appears he will be around at least through training camp. Matthews had a down season with 12 catches in 2014 after putting up 41 receptions for 448 yards in 2013 and now he could get a chance to be a contributor with Parker on the sidelines for now. Freeman has a chance to make the roster as the third stringer and second backup behind Matt Moore for Tannehill, as the Miami Herald reports that he could beat out Thompson for the job if he plays well in the preseason.