Evan Mathis is on the free agent market after his release from the Philadelphia Eagles and teams like the Miami Dolphins, Chicago Bears, Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos and New York Giants could be potential landing spots with training camp coming up next month.
Mathis was released by the Eagles after staying away from team activities this offseason in the hopes of getting a new contract. This was the second straight offseason that Mathis stayed away from voluntary activities and he was later released by Chip Kelly ahead of mandatory minicamp. According to Pro Football Talk, Kelly called the move a financial one and that the team gave Mathis the opportunity multiple times to find a trade partner.
Kelly has been making bold moves with the Eagles and this is another one that pushes out a long time player with the team. Kelly has not been afraid to cut talented players or move on from talented players, as DeSean Jackson, LeSean McCoy and Trent Cole have been moved from the roster. Mathis has been rated as one of the top guards in the league over the past two years by Pro Football Focus and that makes him a popular target on the market.
According to NFL.com, Mathis may not jump quickly into a situation and could wait until the weeks before training camp to sign. Mathis' agent Drew Rosenhaus said that "at least a half dozen teams" have already shown interest in Mathis and that could grow if other teams deal with injuries leading into camp. The Eagles were reportedly willing to bump up the salary of Mathis by $1 million for this season and next year, but the sides did not come to an agreement.
The Miami Dolphins were mentioned in trade rumors for Mathis near the draft, but the Eagles and the team did not pull off a deal. The Dolphins could still be an option for Mathis, as they have the cap space to make the move, but according to the Miami Herald it is not imminent. The paper reports that the team is "comfortable" with the guards on the roster and they do not think they can win a "bidding war" for Mathis. Mathis may get some competitive offers, as NFL.com reports that the Raiders, Seahawks, Giants, 49ers and Minnesota Vikings could be options.
NFL.com writes that with the losses of Max Unger and James Carpenter on the line, Seattle could be looking for some veterans to come in heading into training camp. Other teams dealing with injuries include the Broncos and the Giants, as those teams have lost Ryan Clady and Will Beatty and could look at Mathis as an option. According to Bill Williamson at ESPN, the Raiders have been looking to add more on the offensive line and they have the cap space to sign Mathis.
John Clayton at ESPN reports that the 49ers have interest, as they have lost Anthony Davis to retirement this offseason already. Mathis is going to command a nice amount of money on a one year or two year deal and he could wait until training camp gets closer to starting before signing. Most teams are winding down minicamp right now and it makes a bit of sense for Mathis to take a wait and see approach, especially will so many teams interested.
