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That didn't take long.
A day after Peter King quoted John Elway as saying the Broncos would likely address the offensive line, Denver landed free agent offensive guard Evan Mathis. The two-time Pro Bowler signed a one-year deal with the team, Elway announced on Twitter.
The one-year deal has a base salary of $2.5 million with a chance to earn $4 million with incentives, according to KUSA-TV's Mike Klis.
Mathis, 33, comes to Denver after spending the last four seasons with the Eagles. He was a first-team Associated Press All-Pro in 2013 and has three Pro Football Focus All-Pro nods under his belt (2011, 2012, 2013).
He was the No. 2 ranked guard by PFF last season after ranking first from 2011-13.
Evan Mathis’ deal is worth $4mil with incentives. He turned a $5.5mil deal down from another team because he wanted to play for a contender
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 25, 2015
Denver now has one of the best guard duos in the NFL with Mathis and Louis Vasquez, who was also an AP first-team All-Pro in 2013. The two guards have three combined Pro Bowl appearances since 2013.
The biggest concern with Mathis is his health, as he missed seven games due to injury last season. If he can stay healthy, there's no question that he's talented. He allowed an average of 1.3 sacks per season during his time in Philadelphia, according to STATS.
With Mathis joining the team, Max Garcia is expected to lose his starting guard position. Garcia will now become the team's swing man, according to Klis.
Mathis' signing likely means opening day lineup in OL, L to R would be Sambrailo, Mathis, Paradis, Vasquez and Harris.
— Jeff Legwold (@Jeff_Legwold) August 25, 2015
Mathis was originally drafted by the Panthers in the third round of the 2005 NFL draft. He has spent time in Miami, Cincinnati, and Philly since then.
Mathis was released by the Eagles in June after he skipped OTAs, holding out in hopes of a new contract. He was entering the fourth year of a five-year, $25 million contract he signed with Philly in 2012.
Broncos fans quickly saw Mathis as a potential fit for Denver, but Mathis took his time choosing a new team.
Denver has now found a capable replacement for Orlando Franklin, who left in free agency this offseason to sign a five-year, $35 million deal with San Diego. Mathis is five years older than Franklin, but comes to Denver $4.5 million cheaper.
Before signing Mathis, Denver had $8,137,795 million in salary cap room, according to OverTheCap.com. Paying Mathis $2.5 million would put them at $5,637,795.