Ryan Mathews and his time in Philly: Writing on our wall
It doesn’t take much to figure out what the Eagles are thinking as far as Ryan Mathews is concerned.
If you take some time to really dive into the career of Ryan Mathews, running back of the Philadelphia Eagles, you may find some things surprising and other things, not so much. There are times when fans are allowed to feel like they know more than the general managers and coaches. Signing Mathews prior to the 2015 season and then naming him the starter prior to 2016 are just two of those instances. In both cases, it was easy to scratch your head and wonder what the Eagles were doing.
The early signs:
Truthfully, it just never felt like things were going to work long-term. At times, there was this feeling that Mathews had been on his way out since his arrival. It didn’t help that the team dealt a fan favorite and one of the most talented runners in the game at the time, LeSean McCoy, to the Buffalo Bills. McCoy being replaced by DeMarco Murray did little to settle things down in the Eagles’ fan base. Mathews was added around the same time, but it was too late. Discussions were already being birthed around water coolers all over the country based on the theory that maybe the Eagles had downgraded at the position.
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An up and down season:
The 2017 off-season begins much like the 2016 off-season did. The Eagles don’t have anyone on the roster that can truly be an every down back (figured to be Mathews’ role heading into 2016). Mathews had too many injury concerns and a pretty lengthy injury history to be taken seriously as the guy who could shoulder the load. We haven’t even brought up the fumbling issue.
Since entering the league in 2010, he’s fumbled 21 times and lost 13 of them. That places him toward the top of the league in both categories from 2010 to 2017, and in 2016, all of these red flags were brought to the forefront. Few will forget his devastating fumble versus the Detroit Lions, nor will they forget watching an aging Darren Sproles being overworked partially due to an absent or ineffective Mathews. On December 27th, 2016, his season officially ended due to a neck injury that required surgery.
Year two for a franchise quarterback:
The best friend of a quarterback, especially a young one (Carson Wentz for instance), is a healthy ground game. True, Mathews showed flashes. He’s done so his entire career, but 661 yards on 155 carries by an injury-prone ball carrier doesn’t constitute healthy. Neither does losing two of three fumbles. Outside of Mathews, the Eagles have a stable of running backs who are basically cut from the same cloth. They’re all change-of-pace guys, and it’s time to find a true back who can play on every down, and shedding the four million dollar salary of Mathews is a place to get started.
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Fortunately for the Eagles, his 2017 salary isn’t guaranteed. They do, however, appear to be set to eat one million in dead money due to a signing bonus that was prorated. Don’t expect Mathews to be in the green, white, silver and black of an Eagles uniform in 2017. It may be time to go in another direction, and some would say it’s past time.