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Should the Philadelphia Eagles trade Jordan Matthews?

By Michael Coggin

Nov 8, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jordan Matthews (81) goes in for the game winning touchdown during the overtime of a game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Eagles won 33-27. Mandatory Credit: Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 8, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jordan Matthews (81) goes in for the game winning touchdown during the overtime of a game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Eagles won 33-27. Mandatory Credit: Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports /
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After we tackled if the Philadelphia Eagles should extend Jordan Matthews, now it’s time to examine the argument for trading him.

There are an awful lot of names out there right now. Rumored, floating, hovering: just above the chopping block. You know the names. Even the players know the names. They’ve heard the rumors. Jason Kelce, Connor Barwin, Ryan Mathews, Jason Peters…you know Leodis McKelvin felt the rumblings. But that wasn’t really a surprise, was it? It was just a matter of time before McKelvin was gone. Just like it’s a matter of circumstance which sees some of the other names removed from the Philadelphia Eagles roster. But it isn’t going to be a surprise. Not since the Eagles reportedly asked Peters to take a pay cut, anyway. So where will the surprise come from?

I give you…Kenny Stills.

Wait, what?

Let me explain. Forget present-day Kenny Stills..for another couple weeks. Think 2015 Kenny Stills. In March 2015, with two years remaining on his rookie contract, the New Orleans Saints traded Kenny Stills to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for linebacker Dannell Ellerbe and a 2015 3rd round draft pick. The Saints had determined Stills was not in their long-term plans and got what they could for him.

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The Eagles are in a similar situation with Jordan Matthews. The front office needs to determine whether Matthews should be extended. While I am sure the organization would love to have Matthews’ character & skill set on the roster moving forward, there is a limit to what they will be willing to pay him. Matthews is, undeniably, the most talented WR the Eagles have: but that’s nothing to brag about. On most other NFL rosters, he would be the second-best WR on the team. For a legitimate Super Bowl contender, he’s probably no better than third.

In three seasons with the Eagles, Matthews has totaled 225 catches for 2673 yards (11. 9 yards/reception) with 19 touchdowns. Matthews had productive rookie & sophomore campaigns in Chip Kelly’s statistically generous offense. Last season saw a decline in his production under Doug Pederson. While he did miss a couple games because of injury, it is concerning that Matthews was less productive in an NFL-style offense that was not focused on plays per game so much as other metrics such as…ya know…time of possession…or points scored.

There is one aspect to this situation that is both untenable & glaring: J-Matt is entering a contract year at a lucrative time for pass catchers. The salary cap continues to rise. Teams are going to spend insane amount’s of money on wide receivers come March 9th. Alshon Jeffery, Terrell Pryor, Kenny Stills, DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garçon, Kenny Britt: they’re all going to get paid. Next off-season, the names are even bigger: Antonio Brown, DeAndre Hopkins, Jarvis Landry, Allen Robinson, etc. This doesn’t even factor in Mike Evans & Odell Beckham, Jr: who will enter their contract years in 2018. Pass catching threats get paid and Matthews has been the Eagles only one for some time. His representation will negotiate for compensation accordingly.

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The Eagles have a long road ahead in building the roster toward Super Bowl contention. There are holes all over the roster: at cornerback, defensive line, offensive line, running back, wide receiver, etc. They believe they have the quarterback to get them there in Carson Wentz. If Jordan Matthews is the best option they have at WR as they approach their championship aspirations, it’ll be an organizational failure reminiscent of the days of Donovan, pre-Terrell Owens. Matthews just isn’t a legitimate number one (or two, in my opinion) wide receiver. Quite honestly, he may have better value as a trade asset than as a part of this franchise moving forward. Getting a mid round pick and a contributor, similar to the Still trade, may be too solid a deal to pass up.

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