Chip Kelly has already gotten rid of the Eagles best quarterback, running back and wide receiver from 2014, so you probably shouldn't be surprised to hear that he's now decided to dump one of the team's best offensive lineman.
Starting left guard Evan Mathis was released on Thursday. The two-time Pro Bowler had started 56 games for the Eagles since signing with the team in 2011.
Thanks for the memories Philly.
— Evan Mathis (@EvanMathis69) June 11, 2015
Mathis now joins Nick Foles, Jeremy Maclin and LeSean McCoy as key contributors from 2014 who won't be returning to Philadelphia in 2015.
So why would the Eagles get rid of a two-time Pro Bowler?
Here's three things to know.
1. There was bad blood between the two sides. Mathis had wanted a new deal since the 2014 offseason and when the Eagles didn't make an offer, he ended up skipping the team's voluntary OTA sessions, something he did in both 2014 and 2015.
The Eagles did offer Mathis a new deal in September 2014 that would've given him a raise of about $1 million a year, but the team later rescinded the offer after general manager Howie Roseman was "demoted" to executive VP of football operations.
However, the Eagles did allow Mathis to look for a potential trading partner, but nothing came of that, something Chip Kelly made sure to let the general public know at the NFL Draft.
Chip Kelly: "Evan Mathis has been available for trade for two years and there have been no offers." #EaglesDraft
— Dave Weinberg (@PressACWeinberg) May 2, 2015
Basically, Kelly was saying that the Eagles would trade Mathis in a second, but nobody wants him.
Mathis' response to Kelly's comments?
Deez.
— Evan Mathis (@EvanMathis69) May 2, 2015
With Mathis playing hard ball and no trading partners, that left the Eagles with only one option: Cut Mathis.
The Eagles will take a cap hit of $1 million in each of the next two seasons, but they won't have to pay Mathis' base salaries of $5.5 million and $6 million that he was due in 2015 and 2016.
Mathis signed a five-year, $25.5 million deal with the team in 2012.
2. The Eagles are losing a good player. Of all the crazy decisions Chip Kelly has made, this might be the craziest. In Mathis, the Eagles are losing an offensive guard who has been one of the best in the game since 2011.
Evan Mathis was our top graded OG from 2011-13, and was 2nd last year in just 9 games. Best OG in the game now available. #OnYourMarks
— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) June 11, 2015
The most impressive part of the Pro Football Focus stat above is definitely Mathis' 2014 ranking. The offensive lineman missed seven weeks after spraining his MCL in Week 1, but still returned to be one of the most dominant guards in the game.
3. The team seems to be on board with Chip Kelly's decision. Mathis might be a good player, but that doesn't matter to Jason Peters. The Eagles left tackle was asked this week if he would mind if Mathis didn't return.
"No, not really," Peters said, via PhillyVoice.com. "I've been playing beside different guys every year, so it doesn't really matter who's beside me to get the chemistry with them, and then get ready for the season. We've got a group of guys out there putting in work who have been here since April. Right now Allen Barbre is the starter. Don't know if Evan shows up, he'll get his spot back, I don't know."
Barbre will presumably be the team's left guard going forward, a spot he's been playing with Mathis sitting out of OTAs. The Eagles could also go with Matt Tobin, who filled in some at left guard while Mathis was injured last season.
As for Mathis and where he might land next, he'll likely have his pick of almost any team. Everyone needs offensive line depth and it's not often that a Pro Bowl guard comes on the market in June. The only caveat is that Mathis will probably want to play where he can succeed and that would mean signing with a team that extensively uses zone-blocking.
