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The 2014 NFL offseason has begun for the Eagles, which means Chip Kelly and his staff will spend the next couple of weeks evaluating the 2013 roster. While the team was able to manage a 10-6 record along with an NFC East crown, there are still many ways the Eagles roster could be improved upon. By the time NFL free agency starts on March 11, the Eagles will have a good idea of which players they'll want to bring back for the 2014 season. Today we'll continue this offseason review series by looking at the offensive guard position.
The Players
Evan Mathis - 32
Stats: 1128 snaps, PFF: 1st out of 81 guards, 7 penalties, 2 sacks allowed, 6 QB hits allowed, 16 QB hurries allowed
Review: Ho-hum. Another great season for the Eagles starting left guard. Mathis finally got some long deserved recognition around the league as he was named to the 2014 NFL Pro Bowl (first team alternate), the 2013 AP NFL All-Pro Team, and the 2013 PFWA All-NFL team. Mathis particularly excelled as a run blocker.
Todd Herremans - 31
Stats: 1128 snaps, PFF: 26 out of 81 guards, 5 penalties, 4 sacks allowed, 10 QB hits allowed, 34 QB hurries allowed
Review: The Herrdawg had a rough start to the season but played well overall. Interestingly enough, Herremans was graded as the third worst pass blocking guard in the league by Pro Football Focus. On the other hand, he was also the league's second best run blocking guard.
Believe or not, Mathis and Herremans are the only two players officially listed as guards on the Eagles roster. Backup lineman Allen Barbre can also play guard as well as tackle. It was also noted yesterday that the Eagles are working out young offensive linemen Matt Tobin and Michael Bamiro, who played at tackle in college, at guard. The Eagles like their offensive linemen to be versatile.
Who Could Leave
Evan Mathis is fairly priced at $6M in 2014. He's not going anywhere. Herremans has a cap number of $4.2M but the Eagles would only save $600,000 by cutting him. Expect both starting guards back. The Eagles could look to add depth through the draft, considering both guards are over 30.
Who Could Sign
Nothing big here. Depth signing(s).
