The Philadelphia Eagles' trade block appears to be getting crowded. DeSean Jackson may or may not already be on it and now Evan Mathis can add his name to the list of players available for dealing. The guard has a high salary to his name that he appears to be unwilling to lower. That normally does not sit well with a team in need of extra salary cap space. Now available, could the Oakland Raiders or Atlanta Falcons make a move for the Pro Bowler?
Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported the Philadelphia Eagles have made Mathis available in a trade. The guard's $5.15 million salary is no longer favorable for the Eagles. The two sides attempted negotiations on a new deal, but Mathis put together an excellent season in 2013 and is not willing to take a pay cut that works better for the team's financial situation.
Mathis has three years remaining on his current contract which is not ideal for any team to take on, but his Pro Bowl status says otherwise. The guard started all 16 games over the past two members and has proven to be an irreplaceable body on the Eagles' defense. While speaking at the NFL meetings, Kelly remained hopeful that the Eagles would retain Mathis and while the two have not discussed a potential new deal, the head coach does not predict it will be an issue.
So who could make a trade for Mathis? The Oakland Raiders could be an interested team. The Raiders lost the best offensive tackle in the game when Jared Veldheer departed for the Arizona Cardinals. Oakland then botched the signing of Rodger Saffold further hurting the offensive line. Oakland general manager Reggie McKenzie was not thrilled at either loss.
The setback was the one that got away from us," McKenzie said, via NFL.com. "Losing Veldheer was a blow to me. He didn't want to come back. It wasn't about finances. The kid didn't want to play for the Raiders anymore, and I struggled with that."
While both Veldheer and Saffold were offensive tackles, an upgrade to the line is always needs for the Raiders. The team is hopeful that Matt Schaub will stabilize their quarterback play, but if he is not protected, offensive issues will only continue for Oakland.
The Atlanta Falcons are another team that could be interested in a trade for Mathis. The Falcons appeared ready to set their focus on the NFL Draft for offensive line help, but could target Mathis with the right price tag. The Falcons line was down-right terrible last year and adding a Pro Bowler would be a better upgrade over a rookie.
