Eagles guard Evan Mathis is staying away from Philadelphia's offseason work as he seeks an upgrade on his current contract.
Philly head coach Chip Kelly indicated in early May that due to Mathis' consistent dissatisfaction with his current deal, he has remained available for some time, but that his advancing age and weighty contract have kept the Eagles from receiving any offers on his services in nearly two years.
"Evan's been available to trade for two years now and we've never had an offer for him," Kelly said, via Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer. "That's through his agent and him. They've asked if he could renegotiate a contract and see what he could get and we've obliged him with that, but we've never had an offer."
Despite Kelly's assertion, rumors have emerged in the past that a team like the Miami Dolphins, who have a couple of very young players in 2014 third-round pick Billy Turner and 2013 third-round pick Dallas Thomas in line to start at guard this year, were potentially interested in making a play for the 33-year-old Mathis.
While there has been little movement on the Mathis front to this point, FOX Sports' Alex Marvez appeared on the Marc Hochman Show with Zach Krantz on Thursday and indicated that the Dolphins could remain interested in acquiring the veteran guard sometime this preseason.
"Evan Mathis is the guy to continue to watch because he has not shown up at the Eagles offseason workout program," Marvez said, via CBS Miami. "Essentially Evan Mathis is frozen. I wouldn't be surprised after the minicamp takes place if the Dolphins make a call to the Eagles to see what can be done to potentially acquire Evan Mathis.
"Evan is a really good player who's in his 30s - he's also represented if I'm not mistaken by Drew Rosenhaus which doesn't hurt things having him locally either. I just have to think Evan Mathis is the guy who could be available for trade and might not even cost you that much to get him."
Rosenhaus said recently that the Eagles had given him permission to shop Mathis, but that the Dolphins did not look like "a strong possibility," while appearing on the Joe Rose Show, via a separate report from CBS Miami.
Since Mathis remains under contract with the Eagles for two more seasons, there is no urgency for the Eagles or Kelly to do anything unless they get a worthwhile offer.
If Marvez is correct that it wouldn't cost "that much" to get Mathis, the Dolphins should certainly considering exploring a trade for a guy who would immediately upgrade the interior of their offensive line.
