The Dolphins could use an upgrade at guard, and Evan Mathis is by far the best player available. But that doesn’t mean the Dolphins and Mathis are close to a deal.
The Miami Herald reports that dialogue is ongoing between the Dolphins and Mathis, but the Dolphins aren’t interested at the price Mathis wants, which is a $5.5 million salary.
It’s no surprise that the Dolphins don’t want to pay Mathis that kind of money. That’s what he was scheduled to make on his contract with the Eagles, and the Eagles didn’t want to pay it, either. Mathis is a good player, but he was the oldest starting guard in the NFL last year, and at age 33 he’s unlikely to garner the kind of contract he had when he was in Philadelphia.
At least, not yet. Perhaps some team will get desperate to sign Mathis when a starting guard suffers an injury. Or perhaps the Dolphins’ offensive line will struggle in the preseason, and Miami will decide to pay Mathis the money he wants. But for now, the Dolphins aren’t going to pay Mathis’s price, and Mathis is going to remain without a team.