Free Agent dept. ~ ~ ~

[kelly]

 -- The most unsettled position in the New York Jets' starting lineup? Easy. Right guard.On Thursday, the Philadelphia Eagles released Pro Bowl guard Evan Mathis, who was involved in a contract dispute.

 

Should the Jets make a play for Mathis ?

 

It can't hurt to investigate. Money, of course, could be an issue.Mathis was due to make $5.5 million and $6 million in the final two years of the five-year, $25.5 million contract he signed in 2012, and he obviously was looking for a raise because he boycotted the Eagles' voluntary workouts. He had permission to make a trade -- had it the last two years -- but the Eagles said they never received an offer for Mathis. With a mandatory minicamp coming up next week, they decided to cut bait, perhaps to avoid a distraction.

 

The Jets should have enough intel on Mathis because Todd Bowles crossed paths with him twice -- Miami Dolphins (2008) and Eagles (2012).Mathis is a good player. He made the last two Pro Bowls and was a first team All-Pro in 2013. From 2011 to 2013, he was the league's top-rated guard by Pro Football Focus, a stats-based web site. He slipped to No. 2 last season, but he played in only nine games. The downside is he's 33 years old. It also should be noted he played left guard for the Eagles, although he played the right side early in his career.

 

The Jets have been rotating throughout the offseason, with Brian Winters and Brent Qvale sharing time in minicamp, which ended Thursday. Previously, Oday Aboushi saw action, but he spent the week at left guard. The incumbent is Willie Colon, 32, who is dealing with residual soreness from knee surgery last year. Colon, on a one-year contract, was held out of team drills in minicamp and is no lock to make the team.Cap room could be an issue. The Jets, who began the offseason with more than $50 million in space, are down to $4.94 million under the cap. Could be a tight squeeze.

 

> http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/51872/should-jets-pursue-former-eagles-pro-bowl-guard-evan-mathis

[kelly]

just an fyi  ;

 

~ ~  Eagles nearly traded Evan Mathis during the draft

 

In lieu of cutting running back LeSean McCoy, the Eagles found a trade partner. They almost did the same thing with guard Evan Mathis.Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the Eagles nearly traded Evan Mathis during the draft.While it’s unclear whether it was part of an effort to get quarterback Marcus Mariota or another deal, it didn’t happen. Which makes the eventual release of Mathis even more surprising.According to the source, no serious efforts were made to trade Mathis before releasing him this week. But it would have made sense to try to get something of value in return for a two-time Pro Bowler. Even if he’s not happy with his contract, another team could have secured dibs on negotiating a deal Mathis would deem to be acceptable — such as the offer from last year that Mathis contends was pulled from the table in 2015.

 

With the details reported by multiple media outlets on Tuesday (roughly $1 million more per year in 2015 and 2016), any interested team could have initiated the process of securing Mathis pursuant to a deal in that range in exchange for a low-round draft pick. Or the Eagles could have done the same thing.Ultimately, coach Chip Kelly opted instead to dump Mathis abruptly, a possible manifestation of Kelly’s fast-talking impatience. It’s also a possible reflection of Kelly’s attitude toward the crapshoot that is the draft. For him, keeping Mathis around any longer, even if it meant coaxing a third-day selection from the team that eventually signs Mathis with no compensation to the team that previously held his right for the next two years.

 

> http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/06/12/eagles-nearly-traded-evan-mathis-during-the-draft/

[kelly]

saw this..

 

~ ~ Four potential landing spots for Evan Mathis

 

When a big-name player at a premium position gets cut during the offseason or during training camp, it brings back the familiar rush of free agency where more than a dozen teams take a good look at a veteran that can make their team significantly better.On Thursday, that happened again when the Eagles got rid of guard Evan Mathis, a 33-year-old perennial Pro Bowler who can plug and play in almost half of the offenses in the NFL right now.With more importance being placed on interior offensive line strength over the years, Mathis will almost certainly be keeping his cell phone carrier busy.

 

Here are a few destinations the Around The NFL crew thinks make some sense :

 

New York Giants :

Mathis held out of workouts due to a contract dispute and is the latest in a long line of players to defect from Chip Kelly island with a bit of an attitude. Is there a better place for him to go than a division rival that desperately needs help along their offensive line ?  The Giants, who have lost left tackle Will Beatty for the foreseeable future, are now depending on rookie Ereck Flowers to hold down the position. Signing Mathis would at least give them an immediate-assistance option to Flowers' inside, or he could give them the flexibility of moving guard/tackle Geoff Schwartz to tackle. Mathis, a zone blocking specialist, would feel relatively at home in a scheme not unlike the one he used to run with Andy Reid. Offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo brought many zone principles with him from Green Bay. --Conor Orr

 

 

 

Seattle Seahawks:

 

Mathis isn't a power-blocking mauler. His game is best suited for a zone-blocking scheme, which limits the pool of suitors. The Seahawks run a highly effective zone attack, have roughly $10 million in available cap space and need veteran help on the interior after trading center Max Unger and losing guard James Carpenter to the Jets. Why not sign with a Super Bowl contender to close out his career ? 

 

Denver Broncos :

Evan Mathis is a large, beefy man now wandering the streets as a free agent. Teams will show interest in the Pro Bowl guard, but it would be wise for the veteran to seek out the right scheme fit. A zone-blocking team like the Broncos makes plenty of sense.Denver currently has former practice-squader Ben Garland penciled in at left guard ahead of underwhelming veteran Shelley Smith and rookie Max Garcia. With left tackle Ryan Clady out for the year, right guard Louis Vasquez looms as the only veteran holdover from last season. Coach Gary Kubiak should give serious consideration to Mathis, who thrived in Philly's zone-based scheme and would help shore up what looms as the worst line Peyton Manning has played behind in ages. -- Marc Sessler

 

Oakland Raiders :

Evan Mathis wanted this outcome. He wanted a raise from the Eagles more, but learned quickly that Chip Kelly wasn't going to give him that. So he wanted out of Philadelphia so that he could get his fair value elsewhere. It's a risky proposition.Mathis was due $5.5 million in 2014 and that will be a difficult salary to find at this stage of the offseason. So what team has enough cap space and desperation to pay the oldest projected starting guard in the league that kind of money? Look to Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie! Mathis will be driven to get top dollar, and the Raiders are a logical team to pay it. I look at this Mathis contract as an experiment to see how much a ProFootball Focus ranking is worth. The analytics website has essentially put Mathis' play at a Hall of Fame level since 2011. We'll see if McKenzie agrees. -- Gregg Rosenthal

 

> http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000496735/article/four-potential-landing-spots-for-evan-mathis

[kelly]

— The Jets on Thursday released reserve offensive tackle Sean Hooey. But the real significance of the move is the timing: A little more than 30 minutes after the Eagles released talented veteran guard Evan Mathis. Might the Jets be about to make a serious play for Mathis ?

 

I'm spitballing here, but the dots are easy to connect. Mathis, 34, figures to get interest from any number of suitors. But the Jets could use another offensive lineman, and the Hooey release means they now have an open spot on their 90-man offseason roster.Mathis, entering his 11th season, has been one of the league's best guards in recent years. In his four seasons with the Eagles, Pro Football Focus graded Mathis first among all guards three times, and second once.During organized team activities and minicamp, which wrapped up Thursday, the Jets have used James Carpenter, a free-agent acquisition from the Seahawks, as their starting left guard. But they've been tinkering heavily at right guard, where there will be no clear-cut favorite heading into training camp.

 

Mathis last played right guard in 2008, when he was with the Bengals.Mathis also has ties to Jets head coach Todd Bowles. They were together with the Dolphins in 2008, when Bowles was an assistant head coach/secondary. And they were on the same squad again with the Eagles in 2012, when Bowles coached the secondary and later took over as interim defensive coordinator.The Eagles and Mathis split up because of a contract dispute that's been brewing since the Eagles put him on the trading block in March 2014. Mathis had two years remaining on a deal that would have paid him $5.5 million this season, and $6 million next year, though nothing was guaranteed.

 

According to NFL Players Association records, the Jets have approximately $4.8 million in salary-cap space. And while they also have a contract battle on their hands with defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson, Wilkerson is already under contract for this year. And a deal could be reached with Mathis that includes a signing bonus to spread his cap hit beyond 2015, thus lowering its impact this year.

 

Now ?

 

We wait to see what the Jets do.Hooey, meanwhile, had signed a futures contract back in January. He'll always have the distinction of being the first player Mike Maccagnan signed after taking over as general manager.

 

> http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2015/06/jets_release_sean_hooey_making_room_to_pursue_evan.html

[Jet Nut]

Ranking the 25 Best Moves of the 2015 NFL Offseason

8. Brandon Marshall, WR New York Jets

New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith is mostly frustrating with a sprinkle of confusion and is facing a season when his career will either flop or finally fly. Hope of doing the latter rested partly with getting better support during the offseason, and a receiver whose spider arms can help compensate for Smith’s spraying.

Enter Brandon Marshall.

Marshall was acquired from the Chicago Bears in exchange for a fifth-round pick and brings a wide, often leaping catch radius that will be used to vacuum up wayward throws.

Consider Marshall the Inspector Gadget to Smith’s unmanned hot dog cannon.

Why there’s an immediate fit: Smith has completed only 57.5 percent of his passes over two NFL seasons. Yet amid that rubble of a career, he’s shown flashes of potential, especially when he became the only quarterback to post a perfect passer rating in 2014 (Week 17 against the Miami Dolphins).

Over time Smith has shown glimpses of a quarterback who can properly scan the field and not become magnetized to one receiver. Now his accuracy needs to improve, and specifically on deep balls: Smith completed only 31.1 percent of his passes that traveled 20-plus yards in 2014, according to PFF.

Which is where Marshall slides in nicely. He was slowed and then sidelined by injuries in 2014 but is only a year removed from a catch rate of 41.9 percent on his targets 20-plus yards downfield, according to PFF. That placed him fifth among all wide receivers who were on the other end for at least 50 percent of their teams' deep targets.

Risks: Wide receivers are often halted by the age wall just as they approach 35 years old. Marshall is entering his age-31 season and is now learning a brand-new offense under coordinator Chan Gailey. That’s coming after his receiving yards per game absolutely plummeted in 2014 (from 80.9 the previous year to 55.5).

Long-term projection: If the Smith-Marshall combination doesn’t change the Jets’ offensive competence level fast, their marriage (and living arrangements) could be over quickly. The guaranteed money in Marshall’s newly restructured contract runs out after 2015, and in 2016 his cap hit rises to $9.5 million, according to Spotrac.

[#27TheDominator]

 

When a big-name player at a premium position gets cut during the offseason or during training camp, it brings back the familiar rush of free agency

 

> http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000496735/article/four-potential-landing-spots-for-evan-mathis

 

Holy ****.  When did guard become a "premium position?"  If G is a premium position, does that just leave punter, kicker and long snapper as non-premium positions?

[kelly]

 how realistic is it that the Jets actually make a move and go after Mathis? #Jetsmail

 

 

@RichCimini: As I noted Friday on Twitter, I think the Jets have some level of interest in Evan Mathis, who was officially released Friday afternoon by the Philadelphia Eagles, but I'd describe it as a lower level. In other words, I don't think he's signing with the Jets. He'll probably cost too much (he didn't want to play for $5.5 million in Philly) and the Jets have only $4.9 million in cap space. They want to give their young guards a chance to prove themselves in training camp -- guys like Brian Winters, Brent Qvale and Oday Aboushi. And let's not forget about Willie Colon, the incumbent. Mathis is 33 years old, reportedly the oldest projected starting offensive linemen in the league. Personally, I'd sign him, but it's not my money.

 

rest of above article :

> http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/51909/selecting-the-jets-mount-rushmore-for-the-21st-century

[kelly]

just an fyi  ;

 

~ ~   The Atlanta Falcons are moving on from one their former first-round picks.

 

The Falcons announced Monday that they have released tackle Sam Baker, who started 61 games in six seasons with the team after being selected with the 21st overall pick in the 2008 draft.Baker missed all of 2014 with a torn patellar tendon and has played in just four games the past two seasons due to knee issues. He had been a candidate to move inside and compete for the team's left guard job this summer.

 

"Well, he's one of the guys rehabbing really hard," Falcons coach Dan Quinn said in March, per ESPN.com. "As he goes through it, we're going to see when he can get healthy and get back on the field, like a number of the other guys."Baker, 30, was a solid left tackle before the injuries. If he can prove his knee is healthy, he should get a look from a line-needy team.

 

> http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000497015/article/falcons-release-former-starting-left-tackle-sam-baker

[#27TheDominator]

just an fyi  ;

 

~ ~   The Atlanta Falcons are moving on from one their former first-round picks.

 

The Falcons announced Monday that they have released tackle Sam Baker, who started 61 games in six seasons with the team after being selected with the 21st overall pick in the 2008 draft.Baker missed all of 2014 with a torn patellar tendon and has played in just four games the past two seasons due to knee issues. He had been a candidate to move inside and compete for the team's left guard job this summer.

 

"Well, he's one of the guys rehabbing really hard," Falcons coach Dan Quinn said in March, per ESPN.com. "As he goes through it, we're going to see when he can get healthy and get back on the field, like a number of the other guys."Baker, 30, was a solid left tackle before the injuries. If he can prove his knee is healthy, he should get a look from a line-needy team.

 

> http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000497015/article/falcons-release-former-starting-left-tackle-sam-baker

 

Son of the former Arena League Commissioner.  Probably too old for us to waste time on. Would make sense for the teams that lost their LTs.  Let him rehab and maybe he will be a worthwhile interior lineman with experience to backup at LT.  He has a bunch of dead money, so I wonder if the Falcons want to clear the books this year for some reason or he is totally done.

[kelly]

The Jets reportedly made an unsuccessful waiver claim for Tim Wright, but that didn’t lead them to bring their quest to add a former Patriots tight end to a halt.

 

The team announced on Monday that they have signed Steve Maneri, who has had a pair of stints with New England over the course of his career. The Jets made room for Maneri on the roster by dropping yet another former Patriot in Zach Sudfeld. Sudfeld has been waived/injured as a result of a torn ACL.

 

Maneri played one game for the Patriots last season and also spent time on the team’s active roster and practice squad during the 2010 season. Maneri has also spent time with the Chiefs, Bears and Buccaneers and his biggest playing time came while with the Chiefs in 2011 and 2012. Maneri caught six passes for 52 yards in 19 games for Kansas City.

 

Sudfeld, who tore his ACL at last week’s minicamp, had 10 catches for the Jets over the last two years. Maneri and Kellen Davis will likely battle for a spot behind Jace Amaro and Jeff Cumberland on the Jets roster.

 

> http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/06/15/jets-add-one-former-patriot-tight-end-and-subtract-another/

[kelly]

Yesterday we received this question from GGN member Fly 14

 

Any indication the

Jets

will pursue Mathis ?

 

The honest answer is, we don't really know. However if you listen to the birds chirping, all indications suggest we're not serious players in the Mathis sweepstakes.

 

John Clayton recently confirmed that according to his sources, there were 4 main teams looking to sign the pro-bowl guard, recently cut from the Philadelphia Eagles.The teams in question, the San Francisco 49'ers (they could really do with this after their off-season), the Kansas City Chiefs, the Miami Dolphins and the Indianapolis Colts.

 

The Jets have a whole load of questions around the guard position this year however it's also true that they only have a small amount of cap space available. We also have the whole Wilkerson contract situation hanging over our heads, so going out and spending a fair amount on a guard would be a controversial move, regardless of whether we needed him or not.

 

According to his agent Drew Rosenhaus, 12 teams have contacted him in relation to Mathis, however Clayton believes only 4 teams are willing to pay the price it will take to secure him. If I were him, I'd go to the Colts where he has the best chance at a championship but at this stage, the Jets are not believed to be a major player.

 

> http://www.ganggreennation.com/2015/6/16/8789005/new-york-jets-not-believed-to-be-agressively-pursuing-evan-mathis