The Philadelphia Eagles have been at the center of NFL trade rumors this offseason and on top of DeSean Jackson, the team now is listening to offers for lineman Evan Mathis and teams like the Miami Dolphins, Oakland Raiders, NY Giants, Seattle Seahawks , Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings could be potential destinations for a deal ahead of the NFL draft.
The Eagles have had a busy offseason and Chip Kelly is putting his mark on the team once again and now Mathis could be on his way out along with DeSean Jackson. The team kept Jason Peters and Jason Kelce and now they are looking to move Mathis, who was previously an All-Pro selection in 2013 and that could net the team a nice draft pick coming up. Last season the team was ranked in the bottom 10 of the league in sacks allowed and this move could allow them to draft someone in May or look at upgrading with free agents left on the market.
According to ESPN.com, Mathis is looking for a raise and that is where the reasons for the trade rumors lie and the same for Jackson: it's about money. Jackson is making over $10 million this season and Mathis reportedly wanted a $5 million pay raise and now both players could be on their way out of town. Mathis has been the perfect example of durability while missing just one game over his three seasons with the Eagles and he has been very consistent on the field with his play as well. In 2012 he signed a five-year, $25 million contract and now the team is looking to deal him and while he has some wear on him after seasons in the league, he could be a versatile option for the teams mentioned above.
The Dolphins seem like a logical destination, as they have the money to take him on and they are working on reshaping their offensive line after the disaster that was last season. The team gave up more sacks than anyone else in the NFL and while Mathis is 32 years old, he could be a great addition along with Branden Albert on the line. The team has guard Shelley Smith and they could use Mathis to fill the other guard spot and they have changed up their entire offensive line and that could help the rushing game as well, since the team ranked 26th in the league in rushing last season and gained only 90 yards per game.
The Eagles could use and upgrade on the line as well if they get rid of Mathis, but money appears to be the reason here and Kelly should have no problem filling in his spot in the upcoming drat. The team is likely to select a guard at some point and if Mathis gets dealt, it could come in the first half of the draft rather than on the back end.
