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Evan Mathis’ Release Provides Clarity And More Questions

By Anthony DiBona

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The elephant has left the NovaCare Complex, well technically, he was never there in the first place. When Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly released disgruntled guard Evan Mathis, it obviously weakened the roster but the move brought some closure to the team.

Nearly every player and coach was asked about whether or not Mathis would ever rejoin the team. The constant questions seemed to certainly frustrate Kelly and even some of the team’s best players as well. Mathis’ neighbor on the field, left tackle Jason Peters, seemed to not even care whether or not Mathis returned to the team, according to PhiladelphiaEagles.com. That’s a telling statement considering he may be the player that’ll be impacted most by Mathis being released.

“We’re going to win because we’ve got guys who can step up and fill voids without him being here. Al is going to take his spot for the main part and we’re going to keep it rolling,” Peters said. “(Mathis) missed a couple of games this past year and we still won.”

Another notable player on offense, third-year tight end Zach Ertz had some choice words regarding Mathis’ situation as well. Even mentioning how going against Kelly’s plan in the past has worked out for previous players, according to Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com.

“If you go against Chip, I’ve think we seen … if you don’t buy in, we’ve seen what happens,” Ertz said. “Not to say that as a threat in any way, but we want guys that love the process each and every day, whether its June 1 or January 1 or February 6, whatever day the Super Bowl is.

“We need guys that are going to come in each and every day and work and I think that’s what we’re building right now.”

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Now usually it’s frowned upon for someone to comment on another player’s contract situation. But this time, it was clear that players had enough of Mathis’ antics. When 89 of 90 players are present for voluntary practices, that one missing player will stand out to the others. Especially if it’s a veteran player, already being paid at a reasonably high level.

Considering Mathis had already been in Philadelphia for three seasons, he should have been one of the team’s more well respected players. But that didn’t seem to be the case, judging by how his teammates have reacted. Safety Malcolm Jenkins spoke recently about how every player is just focused on the players in the building, according to PhiladelphiaEagles.com. Which obviously was a hint that Mathis’ absence was frustrating.

“It’s one of those things where everybody is really just focused on the guys in the building,” safety Malcolm Jenkins told Sirius XM NFL Radio. “I think we’ve got a lot of confidence in the guys stepping in now on the offensive line and obviously with all the backs we’ve acquired, we’re really excited about that.”

Although it’s clear that the players didn’t seem to side with Mathis’ contract complaints, there’s no denying he was a damn good player on the field. Now Kelly will have to deal with the ripple effect this move will cause.

Many were already quesioning whether or not Kelly made a mistake by not drafting a single offensive linemen. Now with Mathis no longer in the picture, that question becomes even more magnified. The Eagles also tried to make a run at free agent guard Chris Chester but he chose to sign with the Atlanta Falcons instead. If Mathis was released earlier, would that have convinced Chester into inking a deal with the Eagles? We will never know.

Right now, it appears that the team will move forward with Allen Barbre at left guard, filling Mathis’ shoes. At right guard, there will be an open competition with Matt Tobin being the early favorite. With an open roster spot, Kelly could also choose to bring in a free agent guard to compete as well. I mentioned a few free agent guards that could possibly fit in Philadelphia in this piece from yesterday.

Mathis’ release provided clarity for a few seconds and then brought upon quite a few more questions. Kelly knows what he is getting himself into by making all of these drastic changes to the team’s roster. But hopefully it equates to winning football games and not just being the talk of the offseason.

Next: Philadelphia Eagles: Five Possible Surprise Cuts

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