Should the 49ers Pursue Evan Mathis?

Last week the Philadelphia Eagles released pro bowl guard Evan Mathis. With the loss of Mike Iupati to the Arizona Cardinals and the retirement bug snatching up Anthony Davis, the San Francisco 49ers have more than just a need on the offensive line. A Mathis-49ers union seems like a match made in heaven.

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Before anyone can give a definite answer, it might be wise to look at exactly why the Eagles cut Mathis. Mathis is 33 year old guard who wanted a larger deal than he already had.

With the Eagles, Mathis was set to make about $5.5 million dollars a year. Mathis is in the twilight years of his career, so it makes sense that he would want to get one last big payday. When one is the top at their position, it makes it much easier to demand more money.

Despite all this, it could be that Mathis just fell victim to Chip Kelly’s master plan.

With Iupati and Davis not plaJusying this year, the 49ers have to scramble to find a cohesive unit to place on the line in front of franchise quarterback Colin Kaepernick. If they were add Mathis to the mix, their problems could seemingly go away.

Evan Mathis was our top graded OG from 2011-13, and was 2nd last year in just 9 games. Best OG in the game now available. #OnYourMarks
— PFF (@PFF) June 11, 2015

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With a player like Mathis on the line, they 49ers would have a lot more freedom.

A line of Joe Staley, Mathis, Daniel Kilgore, Brandon Thomas, and Alex Boone has the potential to be one of the best in the league.

Just like with everything else, there are some downsides.

The 49ers might not want to invest a decent sized contract into an aging guard. Lineman have longer career lifespans than other positions, but just how long with Mathis’ elite play continue?

It would make sense to think that Mathis would want a larger contract that what he had with the Eagles.

However, according to Omar Kelly this might not be true.

I have been told by a league insider it's realistic that Evan Mathis could get 2-year, $10M, with $5M guaranteed. We shall see. I'm under.
— Omar Kelly (@OmarKelly) June 12, 2015

Two years for $10 million is not a bad deal for an aging, but elite guard

One of the few upsides of the recent retirements is the freeing up of cap space. The 49ers now have the space and ability to sign Mathis to a contract. Whether they would want to or not remains to be seen.

With the shape the 49ers are in and the amount of upside that the Mathis would bring, it would be worth it for the 49ers to at least take a look at him.