Dolphins have ongoing talks with Evan Mathis, $5.5 million price too high
Evan Mathis remains the hottest commodity on the free agent market right now, but no teams have jumped at signing the veteran guard. That could be due to the fact that he wants $5.5 million to play this season.
One team that remains very interested in Mathis are the Miami Dolphins. Since he was released by the Philadelphia Eagles, the Dolphins have expressed the most interest in Mathis given their well-noted 'mess' at both guard spots.
It would appear as though the Dolphins would make a great deal of sense as a destination for Mathis, but they're not willing to pay him the $5.5 million he was due to make with the Eagles. Instead, as Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald noted, they want to pay a "stopgap player" like him $2 to $3 million a year.
Needing no explanation, it's obvious why the two sides are far apart financially.
One reason the Dolphins may become inclined to sign Mathis is if the current guards play poorly in the preseason and throughout training camp. That could bump up the price Miami's willing to pay, as they have to protect their No. 1 asset, Ryan Tannehill.
Mathis will play somewhere this offseason. It's just unclear where that will be as of now. Miami still seems to be the best fit, but the two sides will have to get on the same page, financially.
(h/t Miami Herald)
