Evan Mathis is on the free agent market after his release from the Philadelphia Eagles and teams like the Miami Dolphins, Oakland Raiders, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, New York Giants, Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills could be interested in signing the guard ahead of training camps starting up this summer.
Mathis was let go by the Eagles while dealing with a contract dispute and now he is on the open market and can be signed by any team. Mathis has been looking for a new contract over the past two years and the Eagles have been unwilling to meet his demands. The Eagles reportedly offered to bump up Mathis' salary for this year and next year, but it was not to the amount that Mathis wanted. According to Pro Football Talk, Mathis's agent Drew Rosenhaus said that things are "wide open" for Mathis and that there is "a lot of interest" in the guard,
Rosenhaus hinted that Mathis may not jump right into signing with a team and that he could wait until it gets closer to training camp to sign. Mathis was signed to make $5.5 million this season and $6 million next year and reports from the Philadelphia Inquirer had the Eagles offering a raise of $1 million for each of the next two seasons. According to Pro Football Focus, Mathis has been one of the best guards in football the last two years and one of the most consistent pass blockers in the NFL.
The Miami Dolphins previously were reported to be talking a trade with the Eagle around the draft for Mathis, but the deal did not happen. The Dolphins could be an option for Mathis as a free agent after that initial interest, as the team is looking to beef up the offensive line this year after inconsistent play last season. Ryan Tannehill just signed an extension and needs to stay upright after being sacked quite a bit the last two years and the team also wants to boost the rushing game.
CBS Miami reports that "at least half a dozen" teams are interested in Mathis, with the Patriots, Rams, Dolphins and Bills all considered to be in the mix. NFL.com reports that four landing spots include the New York Giants, Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos and Oakland Raiders. The Giants are in need of help on the line after losing Will Beatty in the offseason to an injury, while the Broncos are also dealing with a major injury to Ryan Clady.
NFL.com writes that the Raiders could still sign Mathis under the salary cap and they could use to improve the offensive line after bringing in Trent Richardson in the offseason. The Raiders are a team that can offer Mathis what he was making with the Eagles and possibly more and that could put them a step above some other teams. The Seahawks lost James Carpenter in the offseason in free agency, while the Bills have been trying to add to their line this offseason, including with the signing of Richie Incognito. Bills coach Rex Ryan said that the team is looking into Mathis and doing its "due diligence" on him as a free agent option.
