Can Ryan Mathews Make The Club From The Tub?

Ryan Mathews has long been rumored to be a salary cap casualty, but what if the Philadelphia Eagles are ultimately forced into a situation where they decide to keep him?

Should I or shouldn’t I? A question reserved for hot wing challenges or beer bongs is now seemingly placed right in front of Jeff Lurie‘s Gucci loafers. Should Ryan Mathews be on the Philadelphia Eagles 53-man roster?

For most of you reading this post, $5 million is beyond comprehension. The money saved from releasing Mathews is a drop in the bucket for many NFL franchises. For the salary cap strapped Eagles however, that money could be very useful in the future.

The future is a bit ambiguous for the Eagles though. As it pertains to Mathews, he is going to be on the roster in August, at least according to Les Bowen.

The story continues. Not much has changed.

Eagles training camp is opening, so what's up with Ryan Mathews? Neck surgery recovery won't be evaluated until sometime in August, I'm told
— Les Bowen (@LesBowen) July 23, 2017

Now, we all “know” that Mathews will be released from the Eagles once he’s deemed healthy. NFL Insider Ian Rapoport however has indicated that the team is undecided about the running back’s future with the franchise. So this begs the question: What if Mathews isn’t deemed healthy by the time 53-man cutdowns take place?

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First and foremost, the Eagles could ultimately decide to keep Mathews on the roster. This might not be as bad of an idea as many would assume. As of right now, according to Spotrac, the Eagles have a limited amount of discretionary funds available. Keeping Mathews would provide some nice depth at the position.

A quick update:

Currently, Mathews has been working out away from the team. This is fine (and now there isn’t a burning house around me). Giving repetitions to the younger guys on this roster has already shown it’s net positives. Rookie Donnel Pumphrey is having arguably the best training camp of all the Eagles.

Mark your calendars: Eagles camp: Important upcoming dates

The most likelihood of situations is still that Mathews is eventually released. Having said that, a running back that has averaged 4.6 yards per carry during his 26 games with the Eagles deserves a little bit more credit than he has received. With all the upgrades on offense during this offseason, the best thing for this team in 2017 might be retaining it’s best running back it’s had over the last three years.

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