Inquiring Minds: Should the Eagles trade Jordan Matthews?

The Eagles may never get more for Jordan Matthews than they can get for him right now.

Perhaps there isn’t another NFL team that’s done a better job of keeping their core group of players together than the Philadelphia Eagles. They dished out quite a few deals to much of their homegrown talent and their key contributors. They just haven’t given one of those new deals to wide receiver Jordan Matthews.

There’s one year remaining on his current deal. Two of the newest Eagles, wide receivers Torrey Smith and Alshon Jeffery were signed in the Spring (Jeffery to a one-year deal). Shelton Gibson and Mack Hollins (the latter a potential upgrade for Matthews) were both added in the draft. The Eagles, seemingly stuck with Nelson Agholor, appear to have a logjam at the wide receiver position. Again, a long-term deal hasn’t been worked out for Matthews. It’s fair to ask the question. Why is that the case?

Does Matthews figure into the long-term plans for the Eagles?

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Matthews has been one of the biggest contributors on offense for several seasons. Some believe his numbers are a little inflated because the ball was often forced in his direction. That leads to another topic of discussion. There’s the issue with his inability to catch the ball at times. He’s often mentioned when the subject of drops by Eagles receivers comes up.

His first three seasons at the pro level have resulted in 225 catches for 2,673 yards and 19 touchdowns. As mentioned, he’s in a contract year, but to this point, he hasn’t been on the field for OTAs, minicamp or any other on-field activity (except for hanging out with Carson Wentz in North Dakota ). Pederson stated, following the Eagles first practice of training camp, that nothing is wrong with Matthews’ knee. If that is, indeed, the case, why isn’t he on the field? Truthfully, that may be another story for another day.

Addition by subtraction:

Based on what we’ve seen in Philly and based on the fact that Matthews hasn’t signed a new deal, two things can be assumed. The Eagles brass may have tried and failed, or Matthews isn’t seen in the plans for the team’s future. If moving him is an option, it probably needs to happen relatively quickly. Doing so could allow Philadelphia to turn some of those short-term deals into extensions and longer contracts (Alshon Jeffery for example).

Next: Is Pederson one of the worst coaches in the NFL?

Trading Matthews could also open the possibility of maybe adding another piece, hopefully on defense. Philly doesn’t seem opposed to the idea of adding another corner, and we already know how thin the linebacker corps is. It bears repeating. The Eagles will never get more for Matthews than they can get for him now.

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