Why Releasing Evan Mathis Would Be Chip Kelly's Biggest Mistake

If the last few weeks have shown anything about Eagles head coach Chip Kelly, it's that he's not afraid to make a bold move if he feels it helps his team in the long run. Just look at the Eagles roster now compared to a month ago, and you can't help noticing the major changes.

Gone are recent Pro Bowl players like Nick Foles, LeSean McCoy and Jeremy Maclin, as well as past veterans like Todd Herremans, Trent Cole and Cary Williams. In their place are players Kelly has specifically brought in, like Sam Bradford, DeMarco Murray, Ryan Mathews, Kiko Alonso and Byron Maxwell.

Clearly, Kelly has grown frustrated after back-to-back 10-6 seasons with players primarily from the Andy Reid days, and it's obvious that he's retooling the roster to players of his own liking.

The most recent report, from CSNPhilly's Geoff Mosher, states that Kelly could release left guard Evan Mathis if he cannot find a trade partner. The 33-year-old guard has been on the trade block, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, for a few weeks. In fact, he was reportedly unhappy with his contract last spring, although Mathis remained with the Eagles for the 2014 season.

On paper, releasing Mathis, or even trading him, is a move that makes absolutely no sense. Although the former 2005 draft pick is definitely nearing the end of his career, his level of production on the field hasn't tailed off one bit. He's still elite. He's as dominant as any guard in the game.

In fact, the metrics site Pro Football Focus rated Mathis as the best guard in the entire National Football League in 2011, 2012 and 2013. In 2014, Mathis dropped all the way to second on the list, although it's worth noting that he also missed seven games with a sprained MCL suffered in the season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars. On a per-snap basis, Mathis was just as productive as the game's best guard, Marshal Yanda of the Baltimore Ravens.

Year	Snaps	PFF Grade	YPC	Sacks	Hurries
2011	1025	41.3	4.8	0	13
2012	1155	52.0	5.3	1	12
2013	1128	48.3	8.0	2	16
2014	608	25.8	3.7*	2	5

The above table shows Mathis's stats broken down per season, including the Eagles' yards per carry as a team while running behind the left guard. The 2014 statistic includes the play of undrafted Matt Tobin, who filled in for Mathis at left guard for two months. 

Mathis's salary in 2015 is $6.5 million, which seems like a fair price to pay for one of the game's best offensive linemen. In fact, that seems like a bargain. Mathis, who was originally signed as veteran offensive line depth during the infamous Dream Team spending spree, signed a five-year deal worth $25 million following his breakout campaign in 2011. But it's unlikely that even the Eagles expected him to play as well as he has over the past three seasons.

Mathis has been worth every bit of his $25 million contract. There's never been any report of off-the-field or locker room issues, and for what it's worth, Mathis has turned into a fan favorite due to his hilarious ways on Twitter.

No matter how you look at it, this is a move that just wouldn't make sense for Kelly. It's a move that, if it happens, shows just how big the head coach's ego is becoming. This would ultimately be his way of saying that he thinks he can win without elite players, simply by relying on his offensive scheme.

Getting rid of DeSean Jackson was surprising but makes sense when you consider Jackson's small size, clashes with coaches and high salary. Trading McCoy, a high-priced veteran running back, for a young stud linebacker, makes sense. Not overpaying for Maclin when the Eagles have two young receivers waiting makes sense. 

But what would be the thought process of releasing Mathis? There is none. 

If Kelly wants to improve his team's salary-cap situation, he could release veteran inside linebacker DeMeco Ryans, who turns 31 this offseason and is making $6.9 million in 2015. Factor in Ryans' torn Achilles from November and the simple fact that he isn't even slated to be a starter next season, and you have the most obvious roster cut on the team. Yet it's one the head coach hasn't made, perhaps because he's planning to trade 24-year-old Mychal Kendricks.

Releasing Mathis would be a mistake. It would create a need on a roster that has teetered on the edge of being good but not great for the past few seasons. It could cause the Eagles to absolutely need not just one but two starting guards heading into next month's draft. That doesn't account for needs that already exist at wide receiver, cornerback, safety and possibly quarterback.

The best-case scenario is for the Mathis rumors to die down and disappear and the 33-year-old to enjoy a fifth dominant season in Philadelphia. But as Kelly has shown in the past, if he wants a player gone, that player is gone. This situation doesn't feel like it will have a happy ending for Eagles fans. If Kelly releases Mathis, that will be the worst and most unexplainable move he's made as Eagles head coach.