Kelly Meets the Media

Posted: March 26th, 2014 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | 119 Comments »

Chip Kelly met with the media this morning. He had a huge crowd at his table, all waiting for the scoop on the DeSean Jackson situation. Most coaches had a small handful of reporters. Not Chip.

Kelly didn’t give out any real hard news, but did have some interesting things to say.

So you aren’t really getting any new news. Kelly is trying to play it safe in regard to Jackson, saying things are good between him and the star receiver, but that the team would do what it felt was best for the team as a whole. Chip conveniently left out the fact that he’s the man who makes most of the decisions about what’s best for the team. Coaches love to do that.

Still feels like DeSean is very much on the way out.

We’ll see. Keep your fingers crossed, but your expectations realistic.

* * * * *

There is another unpleasant bit of business to discuss. Apparently Evan Mathis wants a new deal. Reports from the owners meetings say that the Eagles have put him on the trade block.

This is another tough situation.

Mathis started 15 games for the Eagles in 2011 after a very up and down career with other teams. Mathis thrived in the Eagles offense and under the coaching of Howard Mudd. The team rewarded him with a 5-year, $25M deal prior to the 2012 season. Mathis played great in both of the past 2 years.

Now he wants a raise.

Part of me is very frustrated with him. Mathis just signed his deal in 2012. His contract isn’t even halfway done and he wants more money. That bugs me.

The flip side is that Mathis has some unusual circumstances. He became a full time starter at age 30. He’ll turn 33 in November and doesn’t have much longer to be a peak player. Mathis can’t count on finishing this deal to get more money. This isn’t a case of Darrelle Revis wanting a new deal every 2 years to max out every nickel he can and feed his ego.

Mathis knows the clock is ticking. He’s in great shape and might be able to play another 4 years, but he can’t count on that. He’s become one of the best OGs in the league and wants to be paid like that. Jeff McLane wrote about how that isn’t the case. McLane had this item in a report that went up some time back.

Factoring in signing bonuses, Evan Mathis will be around the 14th-highest paid guard in the NFL next season. His base salary of $5 million is tied for ninth along with Chris Kuper and behind Carl Nicks, Jahri Evans, Chris Snee, Andy Levitre, Logan Mankins, Ben Grubbs, Davin Joseph and Marshal Yanda. Mathis, who was selected first team all pro with Denver’s Louis Vasquez, had arguably a better season than any of them. But don’t expect the Eagles to hand out more cash. And don’t expect Mathis to hold out, although that would be the most effective way to leverage the team if he were looking for more money. Mathis signed a five-year, $25 million contract in 2012 after an all pro-caliber season in 2011 and after bumping around the NFL for six seasons.

Should the Eagles give Mathis more money? That’s tough to say. You want to reward your best players, but you also have to be careful about setting a precedent with giving guys raises, especially when the player is older.

It sounds like the Eagles have decided to see what they could get for Mathis via trade. One reason the team can do this is that they feel Allen Barbre is ready to step in and play well if needed. That would still weaken the O-line, but it wouldn’t be a disastrous move.

Chip Kelly was asked about Mathis and said he hadn’t heard anything. Kelly then went on to praise Mathis as a player and person. I would love to see things get worked out between Mathis and the team, but there may be a stalemate where the team doesn’t want to pay him any more and Mathis feels he has to get more. If so, something has to give.

One tough question to consider…will any other team give Mathis the money he wants?

_

119 Comments on “Kelly Meets the Media”

  1. 1 Mike Roman said at 8:28 AM on March 26th, 2014:

    It’s always something with this damn team. Can’t we have one uneventful off
    season?

  2. 2 ztom6 said at 8:31 AM on March 26th, 2014:

    some reports have added a “but” to the “we’re going to do what’s best for the team” comment, which seems to bias the meaning of Chip’s answer.

  3. 3 ztom6 said at 8:39 AM on March 26th, 2014:

    Here’s another version:

    Q: “Do you want DeSean on the team?” A: “I like DeSean. DeSean did a really nice job for us. But we’re always going to do what’s best for the organization.”

  4. 4 Mark Hopkins said at 10:32 AM on March 26th, 2014:

    Shortly after that, he was asked why this is even a question since Jackson is coming off of his best season and is only 27 years old. Chip’s answer: “I don’t know. That is a question for you guys.” Interesting.

  5. 5 Bob Brewer said at 8:33 AM on March 26th, 2014:

    There is also a report saying that the team asked Mathis to take a pay cut. If that’s true that’s worse than Mathis wanting a new deal.

  6. 6 Anders said at 8:37 AM on March 26th, 2014:

    Why would they ask Mathis about that? that makes less sense than the Eagles cutting Jackson

  7. 7 mksp said at 10:34 AM on March 26th, 2014:

    They didn’t, report was retracted.

  8. 8 Anders said at 6:12 AM on March 27th, 2014:

    yea I saw that, why overreacting to rumors this time of year is stupid

  9. 9 GermanEagle said at 8:37 AM on March 26th, 2014:

    Indeed. > see my rant below!

  10. 10 Phyxius said at 8:35 AM on March 26th, 2014:

    I don’t think I’m going to survive Jaccpocalypse, so many twists and turns. Really wish Mathis would honor his contract..

  11. 11 GermanEagle said at 8:35 AM on March 26th, 2014:

    Tommy, the real issue is not Evan asking for more money, it’s actually the Eagles wanting to pay him less.
    And this – my friend – would be absolutely not acceptable. How can you dare to ask an All Pro coming off his best season to take a paycut?! This is as insane as getting rid off another fan favourite – who goes by the name of DeGone – so I really don’t know what’s been going on in Howie’s mind these days?! Maybe he smoked too much popcorn…?

  12. 12 Anders said at 8:43 AM on March 26th, 2014:

    And we had sources there said Jackson was about to be cut? Maybe we shouldnt trust any sources this time of year?

  13. 13 GermanEagle said at 8:59 AM on March 26th, 2014:

    DeSean may still very well end up getting cut.

  14. 14 eagleyankfan said at 9:14 AM on March 26th, 2014:

    I don’t see that happening. What’s the gain for the Eagles? That would imply the Eagles hate him for the person he is(unless there’s an injury we don’t know about).

  15. 15 ztom6 said at 9:18 AM on March 26th, 2014:

    Les Bowen retracted the part about Eagles wanting to pay him less.

  16. 16 Tumtum said at 9:35 AM on March 26th, 2014:

    I’ve always kept a cool demeanor about the moves the Eagles make. Trusting the coaching staff and F.O. Sure, that has proven wrong many times, but I support my team.

    Getting to work and seeing a headline as soon as I open my computer that there is speculation on Mathis leaving has probably sent me over the edge.

    Lesean has had a ton of carries the last 3-4 years. Better cut him too.

  17. 17 ridusofreid said at 8:40 AM on March 26th, 2014:

    It’s all business. Every team goes through it. I don’t blame the players or the owners. Big money and big risk leads to tough decisions. The beauty of the cap is that it the great equalizer that each team must manage. Pete Rozell did the sport well.

  18. 18 Dave said at 9:04 AM on March 26th, 2014:

    I agree. As a fan, I would rather have to deal with situations like this than the guaranteed contract fiasco the Phillies have with Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins.

  19. 19 Rage114 said at 9:04 AM on March 26th, 2014:

    I think “pay cut” doesn’t seem right. If the Eagles did ask Mathis anything, it would be to restructure to reduce the cap hit. Maybe Mathis’ response was “sure, but I want a raise at the same time.”

  20. 20 Tumtum said at 9:31 AM on March 26th, 2014:

    With 18 million under the cap and no foreseeable significant money contracts left to be given in FA I find this hard to believe. Even if they are trying to stock pile cap dollars to roll over next year (someone posted here they were looking to be on the short side next year..).

  21. 21 Rage114 said at 9:47 AM on March 26th, 2014:

    Right. That is why this doesn’t make much sense.

  22. 22 Tumtum said at 9:55 AM on March 26th, 2014:

    Here is the ideal scenario: Mathis was adamant about a pay raise, so the Eagles put him on the block so he could see what interested teams would be willing to pay. This way they could prove a point and move on.

  23. 23 Weapon Y said at 9:12 AM on March 26th, 2014:

    Howie Roseman takes off the mask and reveals Joe Banner has been the GM of the team all along.

  24. 24 D3FB said at 9:14 AM on March 26th, 2014:

    Does anyone know where Joe Banner is? Are we sure he hasn’t come back to town and like kidnapped Howie’s family in some twisted revenge plot? Howie did say the other day that he is “enjoying time with his family” during this part of the season…

  25. 25 Weapon Y said at 9:17 AM on March 26th, 2014:

    Is it a coincidence that the Eagles suddenly got cheap again just after Banner was fired by the Browns? I think not.

  26. 26 Phyxius said at 9:30 AM on March 26th, 2014:

    I love you guys.

  27. 27 Erik Richardson said at 9:15 AM on March 26th, 2014:

    Now there are reports of Mathis being on the block??? Mathis??? Why not Todd? Keep Mathis, he’s a top 10 guard and yes he should get a new deal. This guy has done nothing but solidify the line and guard position for us. Here we go messing with the Oline continuity. Why in year 2 Chip would you affect the best thing on the team? You think you’re going to get another guard who played at the level of Mathis??? Mathis deserves a nicer contract, esp. for being a journeyman.

  28. 28 Tumtum said at 9:26 AM on March 26th, 2014:

    Oh come on! This is getting out of hand. You don’t win 10 games with a good core and bad peripherals then start getting rid of the core and expect better results. This is truly getting out of hand. There is currently zero guard depth on this team. What could they possibly be thinking. The guy is 33 but has shown no signs of slowing down, in fact he has probably improved every year here. The wear and tear he has had in the NFL is minimal, so it really isn’t that surprising.

  29. 29 Erik Richardson said at 9:21 AM on March 26th, 2014:

    I know every team that has successes goes through contract issues. But, damn. Things are just getting started with Kelly in year 2. We need Mathis, and alike. It seems like they (The team) bought in, now they (some individuals) want pay-out.

  30. 30 mksp said at 9:27 AM on March 26th, 2014:

    Just to be clear, all the recent reports indicate Mathis asked for a new contract, and the team essentially responded by putting him on the block.

  31. 31 eagleyankfan said at 9:34 AM on March 26th, 2014:

    Clear as mud because there’s been no official word — just reports from outside the organization.

  32. 32 mksp said at 10:31 AM on March 26th, 2014:

    Sure, but the one report that the Eagles asked him to take a pay cut has been retracted.

  33. 33 austinfan said at 9:27 AM on March 26th, 2014:

    Mathis turns 33 this season, he slipped a little as a pass blocker last year, he’ll probably slip a bit more this year, doubtful he has more than 2 years left (Jimmy had a list of starting OL, only centers were playing at age 35). He got underpaid in his peak years, but Eagles gave him big money off a limited track record, so they took the risk he could be a flash in the pan. Now his contract rises as his performance will start to decline. This will blow over because no one will pay him at his age. Waters is a good example, still a good guard when he left KC, but didn’t get paid as the player at his peak.

  34. 34 Tumtum said at 9:28 AM on March 26th, 2014:

    He slipped this year? I disagree. You are right he won’t get paid at his age though.

  35. 35 GermanEagle said at 9:31 AM on March 26th, 2014:

    I normally like your posts, but if I agree with you that Evan ‘slipped (…) last year’ we will both be wrong.

  36. 36 austinfan said at 9:39 AM on March 26th, 2014:

    People, reality check, players age and decline.

    Most players start to decline at age 30, HOF caliber by age 32.
    The difference is top players have more room to decline and still be starter quality, but don’t expect them to be the same player from 31-34 they were from 26-30. And there’s a short list of NFL starters who are 35 and old (outside of kickers and QBs).

    Peters is 32, a HOF player, which is why they extended him to age 35.
    Mathis is 33 this season, maybe two years left as a quality starter.
    Herremans is 32 this season, struggled last year, if he doesn’t show he’s healthy in cap only his dead money will save him, probably gone next year.

    I’m sure Howie and Chip have already prepared for this in their five year plan.

  37. 37 Tumtum said at 9:52 AM on March 26th, 2014:

    Mathis has been FAR better post 30 than pre 30. He is not “most players”. He has not been a starter in the league his whole career and does not have the wear and tear on his body that some do. Very rarely do guys go from serviceable to top of the league at their position at age 29+. Mathis did. Maybe he stuck around so long because of his athletic ability, and finally learned how to play the position well.

    Just in case this has been planned for 2014; if he is cut who plays guard if the season start tomorrow? No one. There are 2 guards on the roster according to the Eagles’ website. You put your self in a serious position of need in a draft that is flush with prime positions. Ideally, you probably don’t want a guard anywhere in the first 3 or 4 rounds.

    The guy asked for a raise. Politely tell him no and move on.

    Don’t want to seem as though I am jumping down your throat. I think you are a smart guy and enjoy the posts you make, when I agree or otherwise.

  38. 38 Neil said at 10:06 AM on March 26th, 2014:

    He might not have as much wear and tear, but everybody’s body starts declining from about 25 on no matter how much you try to preserve it. That’s just biology.

    Allen Barbre looked good when he had to fill in last season. He can hold us over possibly while we groom a longterm solution.

    However, this whole situation with Mathis seems like something that will blow over.

  39. 39 CrackSammich said at 10:25 AM on March 26th, 2014:

    My money is on both Mathis and Jackson both being on the team come the first game, with the same contracts.

  40. 40 Bert's Bells said at 10:34 AM on March 26th, 2014:

    It’s hard to see the Eagles moving productive talent for “business” reasons. It could happen, but I agree it’s unlikely.

    They’d need to get better returns in trade than either player going to bring in.

  41. 41 GermanEagle said at 11:27 AM on March 26th, 2014:

    I hope you got some savings…

  42. 42 Mac said at 1:22 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    He has all of his money locked up in Crack rocks… no savings means no risk.

  43. 43 CrackSammich said at 4:21 PM on March 28th, 2014:

    You win.

  44. 44 GermanEagle said at 4:33 PM on March 28th, 2014:

    And. Eagles. Lose.

  45. 45 SteveH said at 10:57 AM on March 26th, 2014:

    Not much to go on here. ICDogg, what does your source tell you?

  46. 46 A_T_G said at 11:58 AM on March 26th, 2014:

    Nothing, he has his head stuck up his ass.

  47. 47 A_T_G said at 7:21 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    So…not everyone had a chance to read about ICDogg’s proctologist source yesterday, huh?

  48. 48 SteveH said at 8:38 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    ICDogg’s source was fired for causing too many leaks.

  49. 49 A_T_G said at 9:04 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    Thanks. My comment by itself just looked like I was a jerk.

  50. 50 SteveH said at 2:20 AM on March 27th, 2014:

    It’s ok, you were just being fecesious.

  51. 51 GermanEagle said at 11:24 AM on March 26th, 2014:

    Maybe the Eagles were afraid of getting lost in the gulf between them and the rest of the NFC East like the MH 370 in the Indian Ocean when putting two of their best players from last season on the trading block..?!

  52. 52 iceberg584 said at 11:58 AM on March 26th, 2014:

    Not to be a prick, but that’s an event that *just happened*, and involved the senseless deaths of some nearly 300 people. Plus it was tortured joke at that.

  53. 53 GermanEagle said at 12:06 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    You are right. Though this wasn’t aimed to be on their expense. Edited any way.

  54. 54 A_T_G said at 12:39 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    On this day in history, 2014, one person offered reasonable criticism to another on an Internet site. The other person took the criticism in the spirit it was offered and replied in an appropriate way.

    Never before, or since, in the history of the Internet has this been witnessed.

  55. 55 GermanEagle said at 12:41 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    You crack me up sometimes, A_T_G. 😉 Wish the Eagles off-season would also be as funny…

  56. 56 P_P_K said at 1:10 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    Try finding that on any other Eagles forum.

  57. 57 OregonDucker said at 1:50 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    Truth!

  58. 58 eagleyankfan said at 3:04 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    I thought you were going to end with … can 2 divorce men live together without driving each other crazy…

  59. 59 RIP Worms said at 11:29 AM on March 26th, 2014:

    I don’t think the Eagles intend to trade Mathis. I think he is on the trading block to provide the Eagles leverage in contract negotiations. Mathis is one of those guys who has more value to the Eagles in terms of scheme fit than he would have to other teams.

    I think Howie wants to make the point that the market will not pay Mathis what he thinks he is worth. I’m not sure how the tampering rules work, but it may be that Mathis’s agent can actively negotiate terms for a contract proposal with another team if the Eagles have had “trade talks” with said team.

    If that’s the case, then putting Mathis on the trade block would give Mathis and his agent a dose of reality in terms of what his value would be on the open market. Of course, if that’s the play, there’s always the possibility that it blows up in Howie’s face if another team starts talking big money.

    If that situation played out, then maybe Howie would actually pull the trigger on the move. Never a dull moment with this team.

  60. 60 goeagles55 said at 3:52 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    I agree. It doesn’t sound like they are actively shopping him. Rosenhaus asked for more money. The Eagles said no, but offered to let him see if another team would be willing to do so. They are hoping that Drew comes back empty-handed and Mathis is now happy with his market-level deal.

    It is much less likely, but a possibility, that they are using this same strategy with Desean. After he sees that no team is offering even a third round pick for him, he is brought down to earth and is happy the Eagles are giving him over $10 mil a year, even if it isn’t guaranteed.

    If either of the plans had backfired (meaning teams showed a lot of interest), the Eagles would still get decent compensation for an unhappy player.

  61. 61 GermanEagle said at 1:36 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    @JasonLaCanfora Some around the NFL wonder if DeSean Jackson for Mike Wallace trade would make sense for all parties

    LaCanfora is a funny guy. Well if the Dolphins would throw in Dion Jordan then we could talk…!

  62. 62 anon said at 2:12 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    I literally don’t even understand how that makes sense. Sounds like a big L for everyone involved, except Dion.

    I need to get a twitter, i can do this beat reporting better than the rest of them.

  63. 63 eagleyankfan said at 3:08 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    are we allowed to reference “source familiar with the situation” or “source with knowledge of the situation” etc etc or do you to be like a licensed writer or something? If not …
    I checked with a source that has knowledge of the situation and he(or she) said that they just have to throw 1000 darts a week and if one lands it’s considered a success. You can be wrong more than .700 percent of the time as .700 is only for failing in baseball.

  64. 64 shah8 said at 4:29 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    1) Mike Wallace’s lack of productivity has a direct relationship to Tannehill’s inability to throw a deep ball well. Problem isn’t fixed if it’s Desean Jackson instead.

    2) Mike Wallace chose Miami because he didn’t want to work in a cold place. He would be distinctly unhappy to be back in Pennsylvania.

  65. 65 GermanEagle said at 4:34 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    3) DeSean >>> Mike.

  66. 66 Anders said at 6:22 AM on March 27th, 2014:

    No Wallace chose Miami because they grossly overpaid him

  67. 67 Baloophi said at 6:58 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    It wouldn’t make sense for our party.

  68. 68 A_T_G said at 7:35 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    No, that would be “sorry, no, alcohol has too many carbs” bad for our party.

  69. 69 BobSmith77 said at 1:37 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    If the Eagles really are prepared to get rid of the likes of Mathis and Jackson and get little/nothing in return (mid-round draft picks at best this year), it tells you that contrary to what Kelly said publicly about this team wanting to take the ‘next step’ next year privately he doesn’t think they can do it.

    No team seriously considers removing 2 of the best 4/5 players from what was the clear strength of the team last year if it seriously wants to improve.

  70. 70 BobSmith77 said at 1:44 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    Not paying Mathis more money makes a ton of sense from a longer-term competitive standpoint given his age & contract status.

    My opinion is clearly in the minority here but I do think the o-line needs to be retooled a bit given the age of its starters, that they weren’t a Top 5 unit overall last year despite all starters being healthy, and how poorly they performed down the stretch including 3 of the last 4 games getting dominated in run/pass blocking.

    Mathis is a useful player but guards are easier to replace than a T or even a C. I wouldn’t mind at all if the Eagles would use a higher draft pick on a G or even a T who could play LG/RG the next year or two and then take over for Peters in 2 years.

  71. 71 anon said at 2:10 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    Think that’s why they are ready to let those guys walk. I’m surprised Herremans hasn’t been straight cut he makes as much as Mathis i think.

  72. 72 austinfan said at 10:50 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    No cap savings in 2014, worth keeping as a backup for that reason.
    Come 2015, well . . .

  73. 73 Cafone said at 2:02 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    I can’t help but notice the difference in attitudes towards Jackson and Mathis. Jackson was asked a question by a reporter and said he’d like more of his current contract guaranteed without ever insinuating that he wanted a higher salary. Chip said his agent never asked to renegotiate. Mathis wants more money, and now is looking for a trade so he can get it. Yet Jackson’s comments infuriate people and Mathis, well, that’s understandable.

  74. 74 eagleyankfan said at 3:02 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    because — MeSean has a history of doing it … figured that’s obvious…

  75. 75 kyle wilson said at 8:12 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    Queue the tacit denials……and of course a “Mesean” thrown in for good measure.

  76. 76 A_T_G said at 8:51 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    When I first looked at your comment, I thought it was in another language. Well done making use of the oddly-spelled branch of the language.

  77. 77 laeagle said at 2:11 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    Everyone is moaning about how stupid the Eagles are for wanting to get rid of Mathis. People, that’s not what’s happening. No one working for the Eagles said, “hey guys, let’s just cut Mathis, or get rid of him!” Mathis was reportedly looking to renegotiate his contract. The Eagles, wisely, are reluctant to do that, given that he just signed a new contract.

    The latest reports are that they gave Mathis permission to seek a trade. Basically, “we’re not paying you any more money, but you can see if anyone else will. If they will, and they give us enough value, then we’ll see what we can do.” That’s actually the way it should be handled, because it’s looking for value, it’s fair to Mathis, and if no trade is worth it, they just continue uninterrupted.

    That is so far removed from “Eagles want to get rid of Mathis” that it beggars belief. Everyone complains about the storm that the media manufactures. But the fans are just as bad, if not worse. They’re always looking for something to get angry about, and if it’s not really there, they’ll twist it until they can find something to get angry about. It’s like when my uncle tells my cousin, “Do you believe Obama did …?” My cousin answers, “No, Dad, because he didn’t.”

    I think everyone needs to take a deep breath and think long and hard about what they’re getting upset about, and see how much of it is legitimately anger-worthy, and how much of it is frustration and random association with other seemingly-related events.

  78. 78 anon said at 2:13 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    Haven’t seen anyone get pissed about Mathis — rationale makes more sense than what was coming out about DJAX last week and before i realized we spend $75mm on the offense.

  79. 79 RobNE said at 2:47 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    This is well said and I agree, but even just opening the door to getting rid of Mathis for (assumed) lack of value is irritating. I know it’s LaCanfora, but he “reports Eagles would like a 3rd, may accept a 4th”.

    This all just bothers me. I know they make good money, but Jackson and Mathis are good players. Giving them up for mid round draft picks is silly.

    I know the Eagles didn’t do either of these trades, but just reading about these “will take a 3rd” bs analysis makes reading about the Eagles these days no fun.

    Just trying to point out it’s hard to take a breath and see the big picture unless I just stay off the internets.

  80. 80 laeagle said at 4:23 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    Yeah, I think this summarizes exactly why I think people are getting way too upset about this sort of thing. LaCanfora reporting on rumors about what the Eagles would expect to get in return is NEVER anything to get happy or sad about, because it’s about as based in reality as TRON. So, unless you’re really upset about what’s happening in the TRON world, you shouldn’t be getting upset about what that jackass is reporting.

    How about we all see what actually happens, and what kinds of picks do get earned for which players, if any trades happen at all? I’m sure there will be plenty to get mad about at some point, so why waste the energy getting mad at things that haven’t happened yet?

  81. 81 Baloophi said at 6:56 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    Uhhh pretty sure TRON was a documentary…

  82. 82 Anders said at 6:20 AM on March 27th, 2014:

    Agree, it is also a dangerous slope to give a player a new contract with several years remaining. You can give him a new deal with 1 year left, but never 3 years like with Mathis.

    I also agree, let Mathis explore the market, see if other teams are willing to pay him more, that way the Eagles can see if the wants to match or rather get a pick in return

  83. 83 Yuri said at 2:30 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    Well, Richie Incognito to the Eagles now starts to become more likely (i.e., from fraction of a percent to single digit percentages). Potential departure of Mathis, old man Herremans, and our newly established reputation as rehab clinic for bad behavior (Thanks, Mike!).

  84. 84 ChaosOnion said at 2:33 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    Man, f that guy…

  85. 85 laeagle said at 2:41 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    Wow, I hope that was a joke, because if you’re seriously thinking that the Eagles have sunk to that level, you really have a terrible world view.

  86. 86 Cafone said at 3:24 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    I’d actually have no problem with Incognito if the Eagles think he can play. The circumstances here are much different than in Miami. I can’t envision any of the same problems here with our mostly veteran line.

  87. 87 Sean Stott said at 3:23 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    My source in the Eagles FO has told me that Desean is staying.

  88. 88 JB said at 4:08 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    I’d give Mathis every dollar Nnamdi returned for not living up to his contract. Screw these guys and their greediness.

  89. 89 JB in P-Town said at 4:18 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    With the cap issues the Eagles are going to be in the next few years I would love the team to move Mathis (only 4th or less) and Jackson (4th or less) to bring in young talent and improve the cap. I think Barbre would fit well at guard and you could draft a guard in the 3/4th rounds to be a replacement for Herremans after 2014 season. That would help the age along the line and really help the cap, especially if Foles has another good year….

  90. 90 GermanEagle said at 4:32 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    Wow.

  91. 91 Jernst said at 5:05 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    The 2015 cap problems are way over blown. First off the Eagles are able to move unused cap money forward which adjusts their cap up. Meaning, since they routinely move about $10 mil forward each year their cap is higher than most other teams. That’s a little known fact about the cap, not all teams have the same cap number. The Eagles will be higher than the unadjusted projected cap of around $144 million.

    Further, the majority of that cap space is eaten up by players that are sure bets to not be on the team any more. If you think a 33 yr old Cole will still be accounting for $10.025 million you are nuts. James Casey will most certainly not be counting $4 million unless he becomes a much bigger contributor, which would mean that most likely Celeks $4.8 million would be moved off the books (no need to have Celek if Ertz and Casey are producing). Chances are we will have moved on from DeSeans $10million hit. The chances that DeMeco sees $6.9 million are fairly low and I’d say the chances that Cary Williams sees $6.5 are even lower. Todd Herremans is on his last leg already, do you really see his $4million not being replaced in the next 2 years.

    Just moving on from Cole, Casey, Celek and Herremans frees up almost $20 million in space. No need to start dumping players this year because we’re afraid of the cap in 2015.

  92. 92 teltschikfakeout88 said at 10:23 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    Not so sure you can just roll over cap space from one year to the next..in the past this sort of tactic was done through LTBE credits…..what is your source for the comment about this….just curious if this was a change in the last CBA….generally agree with all your other potential cap casualty comments…..

  93. 93 D3FB said at 2:12 AM on March 27th, 2014:

    The 2011 CBA allows you to roll cap space over.

    http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/02/12/new-cba-gives-teams-the-right-to-carry-over-cap-space-automatically/

  94. 94 Anders said at 6:14 AM on March 27th, 2014:

    yea the rest of the owners was sick of Joe Banner trolling the rest of the NFL with his crazy LTBE contracts, so they made it easier for the rest

  95. 95 Jernst said at 7:30 AM on March 27th, 2014:

    New cba lets u roll forward. LTBE was banners trick/loop hole to essentially do the same thing. New CBA just allows teams to do it without jumping through the LTBE hoop. http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=66&f=1887&t=11124868

  96. 96 Anders said at 6:15 AM on March 27th, 2014:

    yea, with just a few moves, roll over and raise in cap next year, the Eagles can easily have 50 mill in cap space next year

  97. 97 Honest_T said at 5:43 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    What I’ve learned about “The New Plan” in the last year is that TE and RB are viewed as the most efficient offensive production. These players are versatile, cost a fraction of #1 WRs and touch the ball more often. We brought in 2 versatile TEs and added 1 versatile RB, we made serious investments in LT, RT and C.

    I don’t see DJ getting 8 figures to do what the RBs and TEs do for $3 to $6 million. Unfortunately for Mathis, they also seem to view OG as more. Easily replaceable than the other OL positions, and while the guys to his right and left are getting raises, he has to suck it up and play out his contract.

    This also means Maclin is gone after this year, because he will want more than $6. Million, and means someone else will have to write the check.

  98. 98 Baloophi said at 7:14 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    I have to say I’m enjoying watching the media try to adapt to Chip Kelly. Andy was much more available, though often had very little of substance to add (e.g. – “we have to get better there,” “we’ll take a look at that.” etc.). Chip Kelly – on the other hand – is less visible than Snuffleupagus.*

    So far, in this information vacuum, the combination of “desperate media” and “panicky fan-base” has been explosive. I’m just glad we have this space where – for the most part – people are level-headed and thoughtful.

    * That, apparently, is the correct spelling.

  99. 99 A_T_G said at 7:28 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    I don’t know that Snuffeupagus is the right comparison. After all, on Sesame Street, Byrd could see Snuffleupagus.

  100. 100 Flyin said at 9:04 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    Can you expand on Reid being more available to the media during the offseason. Chip, once the team started ota’s, training camp and during the regular season, he seemed to speak quite often.

    If I recall correctly, Reid was on some island vacationing while all the defensive coordinator options were signed by other teams. However, through his genius, he promoted Castillo to be the DC once the well had run dry.

    I know I through a twist in there… available for the media and available for the team at a critical time.

  101. 101 Baloophi said at 2:15 AM on March 27th, 2014:

    Sure. Yes – Tropical Reid would happen on occasion, but he was essentially the mouthpiece for the front office. When we’d sign free agents, he’d be there on the dais to introduce the player and then uncomfortably cough through questions from the media, often saying, “I’d like this day to be about NEW PLAYER, not letting Brian Dawkins go.”

    It seems there was an organizational decision (either by Chip or Lurie) to have Howie handle as much of the media as possible. That’s not to say Chip is a hermit like Belichick or doesn’t ever talk to the media, but from a comparative standpoint, he’s much less accessible to the local media than Big Red (who, himself, didn’t care much for it). Kelly seems to prefer to issue boilerplate written statements rather than make himself available to the media.

    I’m not passing judgment on this move (if anything I’d rather have him focus on football than respond to Sal Pal). I was just theorizing why the local media has been so spastic of late.

  102. 102 GermanEagle said at 7:55 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    Guys, I need your help, as I’m having a blonde moment here. If the NFL owners approve the new playoff format to include 7 playoff teams per conference, How is that going to work out?
    Are the best 5 teams are getting a first round bye, while the 6th vs 7th seed are playing in a ‘wild’ wild card game. But how’s the real wild card round going to look like? 7 would be literally an ‘odd’ number for playoff teams..? #kimbasingermoment

  103. 103 RobNE said at 8:14 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    Only 1 team gets a bye

  104. 104 GermanEagle said at 8:20 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    Thank you. I just kicked Kim out of my bed!

  105. 105 A_T_G said at 8:42 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    I don’t know that it would increase the importance of home field advantage, but it would certainly give the top seed the inside track. One less game than the other six teams and home field throughout. The #2 seed would be the big loser with the change.

  106. 106 GermanEagle said at 8:44 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    HFA = top seed.

    That’s what I tried to say. 😉

  107. 107 GermanEagle said at 8:42 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    Lol, we officially have the next la gran Evan twitta bonanza. After #jaccpodrama we get to analyse every single tweet of Mathis. So what’s your interpretation of his latest tweet:

    One of these dudes is trying to tell me something. http://t.co/SsDje9k3GZ— Evan Mathis (@EvanMathis69) March 27, 2014

  108. 108 A_T_G said at 8:46 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    Give the dog a bone.

  109. 109 GermanEagle said at 9:53 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    This old man, he played one
    He played knick-knack on my thumb
    Knick-knack paddy whack
    Give the dog the bone
    This old man came rolling home.

  110. 110 Baloophi said at 2:21 AM on March 27th, 2014:

    That old dirge could be about any number of current Phillies.

    Except for the coming home part… there won’t be a lot of that this year.

  111. 111 Baloophi said at 2:00 AM on March 27th, 2014:

    The message is clear. One or both of the dogs chewed up a $20 bill, specifically biting through the portrait of Andrew Jackson. Translation? They hate Jackson… DeSean.

    OR… they’re still bitter about how “Old Hickory” shut down the Second National Bank, relocated Native Americans, or galvanized what would become the Democratic party, effectively turning our national politics into a two-party system. If I know dogs, it’s most likely that last one.

  112. 112 spatto said at 11:13 PM on March 26th, 2014:

    WTF.. I am getting further disappointed. I am optimistic that it seems they are being respectful to Evan Mathis to see if anyone is willing to offer more $$$. Hopefully no one is willing to trade or offer more. The line is where it is at. Peanut is the most dynamic receiver other than Calvin Johnson whom has height and size. I would not give Djax a new contract. He is valuable. Nobody can catch him in the open field. Let him know how important he is and be a coach and he him focused. Stop disses Trent Cole, he is a difference maker at both LB and DE.

  113. 113 A_T_G said at 12:47 AM on March 27th, 2014:

    It is not disrespectful to consider upgrading your 30+ starter learning a new position with almost no one behind him. It is the reality of the profession he chose.

  114. 114 Mac said at 1:11 AM on March 27th, 2014:

    I heard a rumor that Howie was trying to trade himself for a 3rd round pick.

  115. 115 Baloophi said at 2:20 AM on March 27th, 2014:

    I heard if you trade yourself you’ll go blind and hair will grow on your palms.

  116. 116 GermanEagle said at 8:23 AM on March 27th, 2014:

    Rumor has it that Chip Kelly declined to comment after being asked if he’d pick Howie if he was available in the 3rd round.

  117. 117 planetx1971 said at 4:35 AM on March 27th, 2014:

    I had finally come to terms with, and was actually getting to LIKE the idea of drafting someone like Cooks. But Mathis? Oh the agony! That man is an absolute ROAD GRADER. I saw Shady run through so many turnpike sized holes that #69 opened up. He’s 32 yes, but the dude is in PHENOMENAL condition. Cant we, if we unload Desean, maybe throw him a bone with the $ it’ll free up? This line is SO CLOSE to perfect with him & we run the ball so much. I’ll be so bummed out if Mathis goes. You guys will call me crazy or worse, but the thought of losing him has made me care about losing #10 so much less all of a sudden 😐

  118. 118 Anders said at 8:31 AM on March 27th, 2014:

    I really want this guy

    http://www.footballoutsiders.com/futures/2014/futures-wake-forest-wr-michael-campanaro

  119. 119 D3FB said at 10:26 AM on March 27th, 2014:

    I love Campanaro, kid is a pleasure to watch on film. Slightly concerned about him being constantly injured but as a day 3 pick I think somebody is going to be very happy with him.