NFL Matchmaker.Com Evan Mathis Needs A Match
With the dust settling in, and the Eagles roster restored to 90 man, we now have a few days to size up the remainder of the NFL. Whether bluffed, misunderstood, or mistake, former Eagle offensive guard Evan Mathis now finds himself sizing up the rest of the NFL.
The man is good, possibly one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL today. But he is getting up in years now, at least when considering he's in a young man's sport. That maturity helps him when setting up blocks and understanding what he sees in front of him, but when it comes to NFL general managers, it's an unspoken curse.
Mathis is a great offensive lineman, and he played on a great offensive line. He joined the team in 2011, the same year that so many free agents came aboard. It's a true testimony to his play that he is the last one remaining from that free agency buying spree. In the NFL, business is business. Eventually all players and teams are faced with the dilemma of when the value of experience becomes less valuable. This year, the Eagles made that decision. So which teams might be in the market for a player of Mathis caliber? Might the Eagles face him again in 2015?
Possible Teams Looking To Sign Mathis
The challenge with an expensive quality player becoming available in late June is the fact that many teams have little "wiggle" left on their roster or their salary cap space. But the need is great enough for some teams to make the necessary moves to attempt to get Mathis on their roster. Here are my top five teams in the running:
(1) Saint Louis Rams
Since the Rams and the Eagles made the surprise trade move in 2015 which basically exchanged starting quarterbacks, I've been curious what remains to be done to take the Rams over the top and into playoff contention.
They boast a strong defense, and offensively have been strong in the running game. With the arrival of former Eagles quarterback Nick Foles, they are likely looking to bolster the passing game as well. Would he fit on their roster? Right now, the Rams are slated to start third year third year rookie Jamon Brown at right guard. Mathis would be a huge and immediate upgrade at the position, and would be insurance to both Foles and to new running back Todd Gurley. The only challenge at this point is cap space, but the right mix of signing bonus, base salary, and performance incentives could get this deal done.
Mathis wants to be on a winner. The Rams would be with his signing.
(2) Buffalo Bills
Of all NFL teams, the one that comes to mind whenever I think of "NEEDS OFFENSIVE LINE HELP" is the Buffalo Bills. With the arrival of Rex Ryan, look for the team to fall back to the old Jets package of strong defense and a running attack offense. The challenge in Buffalo? The offensive line can't open up the holes.
Enter Evan Mathis, whose wiley veteran presence not only upgrades the guard position, but the other positions as well as he becomes a stabilizing force.
The trade of linebacker Kiko Alonso head up for LeSean McCoy places the stakes fairly high that the Bills can keep McCoy healthy. Mathis, former teammate of McCoy, would be worth a premium to come in and fill a two or three year roster spot While the Bills are in no better shape salary cap wise than the Rams, they have a greater need.
Could Buffalo be a playoff team if they sign Evan Mathis? I think they should pursue signing him to find out.
(3) Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins make far too much sense to be the obvious answer. They need help on the offensive line, their offensive coordinator is former Eagle's quarterback coach Bill Lazor, and they had been rumored to have pursued trading for Mathis before the draft.
Neither offensive guard on the Dolphins have given the coaching staff much confidence, despite interviews on the topic. And best of all, the team is sitting on enough estimated salary cap space to make a deal very likely if both parties are interested. The biggest road block is whether Mathis can get his money, and will he see the Dolphins as a legitimate contender, of just as the 98 pound weakling to big bully New England?
This could be interesting if he signs here.
(4) Denver Broncos
Despite the Denver Broncos having Peyton Manning at quarterback, there are serious questions about the team this year. The coaching staff was replaced. The offensive line is a little suspect, and they have had a string of bad luck so far.
Signing Evan Mathis turns everything around.
The only question would be money. The Broncos are between the Dolphins and the Rams/Bills in terms of salary cap space. But we've seen time and again that creative contracting can make a deal happen.
The Broncos need Mathis. And if Evan Mathis wants a ring, he might need Denver.
(5) Seattlle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks will be busy resigning quarterback Russell Wilson to a lengthy career. But if they were wise (and they are), they might peal a couple of their best contract persons off and focus on signing one of the best guards in the NFL. With Evan Mathis on the roster, Wilson would be persuaded to settle for less guarantee and more incentives – knowing that he had a much better chance of meeting performance goals.
There is no question that Seattle is in the market for offensive linemen. They traded pro bowl center Max Unger in the off season, and would be overjoyed to return a pro bowl caliber lineman to their roster. With the Wilson deal hanging over their heads, Seattle is likely a long shot. But if they can find the time, money, and focus to get Mathis on the roster, they will be glad they did.
Summary
We've talked which teams would pursue Evan Mathis, but what about Mathis? He wants his payday, that's obvious. But we wants to win, and win now. Most teams in the playoffs are set at most positions. So Mathis will take his time, get the best deal, and try to place his team over the top.
Knowing Mathis a bit, winning is important to him. Has a few good years left, so he could surface with a playoff bound team. We'll see.
— Adam Caplan (@caplannfl) June 11, 2015
Despite the fact that Evan Mathis shows no sign of age yet, he's fully aware that time moves on. He's at that "now or never" part of his career.
I wish him luck, but I wish he had been content. Philadelphia is on its way now.
