Analyzing the Top 4 Suitors For Evan Mathis
The Philadelphia Eagles tried all off-season to find a trade partner for disgruntled offensive guard Evan Mathis. It didn’t happen and they finally caved on Thursday, effectively granting Mathis his official release. That puts a stout offensive guard on the open market, where numerous teams in bad shape on the o-line could come calling.
The big question is who needs guard help the most and who would be willing to pay Mathis what he’s been asking from Philly this whole time? Let’s break down his top five suitors to find out:
Miami Dolphins
It’s no secret that the Fins have been desiring some improvement in their o-line, as they continue to recovery from the Richie Incognito fiasco of two years ago. They’ve injected some solid talent since then, but despite running the ball well in 2014, still graded out poorly as a run-blocking unit. They could really use help on the interior, where Mathis would serve as a mammoth-sized upgrade.
New England Patriots
The Pats unloaded Logan Mankins in a trade for spare tight end Tim Wright (who they just cut) a year ago, so it’s fairly clear they could use another able body on the inside of their o-line. There isn’t much in concrete fashion tying these two sides together, but they could be a nice destination for Mathis if he’s interested in winning right now.
St. Louis Rams
The Rams may not be able to guarantee Mathis an environement where he can contend for a Super Bowl, but he’d probably get paid and make a strong impact on a young, rising team. The Rams have made numerous changes across their o-line, but they still have some holes to fill. Landing rookie stud rusher Todd Gurley should excite their o-line and getting Mathis could really pull everything together. He’d also get to reunite with former Eagles quarterback Nick Foles.
Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota was loosely tied to Mathis back in March, and could still take a look at adding the stud guard. With running back Adrian Peterson back in the fold, the Vikes could be a playoff contender again in 2015 – especially if a shaky offensive line can improve across the board. Mathis could be part of the solution, as he’d surely impact the ground game and would also play a helping hand in giving second-year passer Teddy Bridgewater some extra time to throw.
These are the four most likely destinations or the teams Mathis has already been linked to, but more teams could pop up in the pursuit for the 33-year old’s services. It may come down to how much money he wants and if winning is high on his last, but we can be pretty certain he won’t want for a job for long. Then again, he could ditch both ideas and just seek revenge by trying to latch on with an NFC East rival. That probably won’t happen, but it’d surely add some spice to the Mathis vs. Eagles saga.
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