By Tim Kelly, Sports Talk Philly editor 
Known for his love of Kanye West, Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jordan Matthews is too focused on using his workout plan to reach the glory in 2017, so you can't tell him nothin' about trade rumors.
Matthews spoke to the collective media at yesterday's OTAs session, which included Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ Advance Media, and laughed off offseason trade chatter:
Jordan Matthews jokes about the trade rumors: "Fake news. Alternative facts" #Eagles
— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) May 23, 2017
The former second-round pick, who has hauled in 225 passes for 2,673 yards in his first three NFL seasons, is entering the final season of his rookie contract. That prompted some speculation that the team may consider trading him this past offseason, rather than potentially losing him in free-agency after the season. That speculation got even louder when Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reported in March that the Eagles were willing to trade one of their 'recently drafted receivers,' a description that seemingly only applied to Matthews and Nelson Agholor.
Matthews, of course, was not traded, but his long-term future with the team remains uncertain.
After having one of the least productive wide receiver units in the league in 2016, the Eagles signed veterans Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith this offseason. They also drafted wide receivers Mack Hollins and Shelton Gibson, along with running-back Donnel Pumphrey, all of whom figure to compete for roles in the passing game.
Howie Roseman and Joe Douglas did a good job this offseason of creating competition at the wide receiver position, as the aforementioned quartet will be competing with Matthews, Agholor, Dorial Green-Beckham, Bryce Treggs and others for 53-man roster spots. Barring a trade, Matthews will have one of those spots, but that doesn't assure that a year from now he will still be with the team.
Consider that Jeffrey and Timmy Jernigan can become free-agents after this season, and that the Eagles still have long-term concerns at cornerback, among other positions. For 2017, the Eagles decided that Matthews being present to help Carson Wentz's development was more valuable than anything they could have acquired for him. Whether they feel that same way for 2018, when they would have to pay Matthews a non-rookie contract salary, remains to be seen.
