Finally. After almost five months without a team, veteran guard Evan Mathis signed with the Denver Broncos. It’s safe to say that he was easily the top remaining free-agent player still available on the market. Mathis, 33, inked a one-year deal for up to $4 million including incentives. His base salary of $2.5 million is significantly lower than it would have been had he remained with the Eagles for the 2015 season. However, Mathis reportedly turned down a one-year, $5.5 million offer from an unnamed team, citing his desire to compete for a championship, per CBSSports’ Jason LaConfora.
The top-rated guard by Pro Football Focus in 2011, 2012 and 2013, Mathis still finished second in the rankings in 2014 despite missing seven games with a torn MCL. He was released by the Eagles following a contract dispute that has been ongoing for a couple of seasons.
Mathis will be a tremendous addition to an offensive linemen that is forced to start rookie second-round pick Ty Sambrailo at left tackle after Ryan Clady’s season-ending injury. He has allowed just five sacks in the last four seasons and will now be protecting the quarterback with the lowest sack percentage in NFL history. It’s not unrealistic to see Mathis play all 16 games in 2015 without allowing a sack.
For the Eagles, it’s a shame the Mathis era had to end so abruptly. He should go down as one of the best free-agent signings in team history, joining the infamous 2011 Dream Team as veteran depth but emerging as the starter before the end of camp. After dominant seasons in 2011 and 2012, Mathis earned his first Pro Bowl selection in 2013, and was picked again in 2014 despite missing almost half the season.
It’s impossible to predict how much time Mathis has left in his career. A freak athlete who tested off the charts at the Scouting Combine more than a decade ago, Mathis didn’t become a full-time starter until 2011. He’s the oldest projected offensive lineman in the NFL in 2015, but he doesn’t have the mileage of a typical 33-year-old player. It’s not unreasonable to see Mathis play at a high level for two or even three more seasons.
