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Bacon, Eggs and Eagles – Evan Mathis Receiving No Support

By Anthony DiBona

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Things aren’t looking any better for Philadelphia Eagles guard Evan Mathis. He’s missed all of the team’s voluntary workouts and practices this offseason due to being upset with his current contract. Clearly head coach Chip Kelly has been bothered by Mathis’ behavior but now it appears to be affecting his teammates as well. It’s also time to take a closer look at the battle for the Eagles’ starting safety spot opposite of Malcolm Jenkins. Walter Thurmond‘s stock seems to be on the rise while Earl Wolff seems to be on the decline, to put it nicely. All that and more in this morning’s serving of Bacon, Eggs and Eagles!

Eagles showing Evan Mathis the cold shoulder – Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com

"It’s still unclear whether two-time Pro Bowl guard Evan Mathis will show up next week when Eagles practice turns from voluntary to mandatory.Mathis has skipped the OTAs while entrenched in a two-year-long contract dispute with the organization that signed him to a five-year, $25.5 million extension in 2012.You’d think the Eagles, who face depth issues on the offensive line, would welcome Mathis back with open arms if he reported to the NovaCare Complex on Tuesday for the start of mandatory minicamps."

Eagles safety stock watch: Walter Thurmond up, Earl Wolff way down – Jimmy Kempski of PhillyVoice.com

"Earl Wolff continues to miss OTA practices with a knee injury, and Chip Kelly has done nothing in the way of defending the third-year safety. He answered a question about Wolff’s status rather bluntly.“Earl has done nothing except stretch,” said Kelly. “There is not progress right now… He was cleared by Dr. (James) Andrews a couple weeks ago, but it’s what he can tolerate, so…”Ouch. Meanwhile, Kelly was effusive in his praise of corner-turned-safety Walter Thurmond."

Wolff Working His Way To Full Health – Bo Wulf of PhiladelphiaEagles.com

"Safety Earl Wolff doesn’t believe he’s been fully healthy since his rookie season in 2013. After suffering a knee injury in mid-November of that year, Wolff was inactive for five of the Eagles’ final six games and for the team’s playoff game. That cut short a promising rookie year for the fifth-round pick that saw him start six games.In 2014, Wolff started only one of his seven games before going on injured reserve in November, again with a knee injury. Eventually, Wolff underwent microfracture surgery to repair the ailing knee. Now, Wolff’s goal is first to regain the health he enjoyed as a rookie. Then, he’ll set his sights on a starting safety job."

LB Long Opening Eyes In OTAs – Dave Spadaro of PhiladelphiaEagles.com

"Travis Long felt a pop, but continued to play in the 2014 preseason finale against the New York Jets. He recorded a quarterback sack on the play, late in the fourth quarter of a win, finished the game and left Lincoln Financial Field on that August 28 night thinking he had a great chance of making the 53-man roster.It was a sweet feeling, the nagging knee pain notwithstanding. He had come a long way to reach this point. Long had torn the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee late in his final season at Washington State, ruining his chances to be drafted in April of 2013. After signing with the Eagles as a rookie free agent, Long spent all of 2013 in the weight room, rehabbing his knee, preparing for 2014 and the opportunity it afforded."

Sam Bradford, Tim Tebow and 10 observations from Eagles OTAs – Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com

"PHILADELPHIA — The Eagles were back at it on Tuesday, holding a practice that was open to the media for the second straight day.The feeling on Tuesday was much more relaxed than it was on Monday. Perhaps it was the intense heat, or maybe it was that for the first time since offseason training started, there wasn’t over 100 media members there.The day started off with head coach Chip Kelly addressing the media, providing updates on quarterback Sam Bradford, offensive lineman Evan Mathis and safety Earl Wolff."

So the Eagles apparently closed practice yesterday with a USA chant…does that make them “America’s Team” now? You never know!

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