Eagles Notes: Birds reportedly in trade talks on Mathis

The Eagles have already dealt LeSean McCoy and Nick Foles, and Evan Mathis might be next.

Mathis' name has surfaced in trade discussions, as NFL.com first reported, and Eagles coach Chip Kelly did not exactly shoot down the rumors when asked on Thursday.

"I think in the last week, I think every person on this team was talked about on trade blocks," Kelly said. "We've had discussions about everybody and everything. As we put together models, there wasn't anybody who was untouchable.

"If we were willing to trade LeSean McCoy and Nick Foles, then I think everybody on this team [would be tradable]. We've had very hard discussions who we could lose, and if we lost them, what would we do to replace them."

The Eagles granted Mathis permission to seek a trade last spring and nothing came to fruition. Mathis, a two-time Pro Bowler, is one of the NFL's top guards. He is also 33 and will count $6.5 million against the salary cap this season. Two seasons remain on his contract.

Mathis is the last of five players on the roster who were signed to major contract extensions by Howie Roseman in 2012. The others were DeSean Jackson, LeSean McCoy, Todd Herremans, and Trent Cole.

The Eagles expressed interest in cornerback Walter Thurmond last offseason before he signed with the New York Giants. After he played just two games because of a torn pectoral muscle, Thurmond took the Eagles up on their interest and came to Philadelphia on a one-year deal.

Thurmond, 27, will compete with Nolan Carroll and Brandon Boykin for the starting cornerback spot opposite Byron Maxwell. He can also play the slot.

"Being able to be versatile and play both positions is very huge at the cornerback position," Thurmond said. "Some guys are limited outside, some guys are limited inside."

Thurmond said he has healed. He previously spent four seasons in Seattle and also played for Kelly at Oregon.

"You either gravitate toward him or you don't," Thurmond said. "The people who Chip Kelly has brought in, those are the types of guys he wants in his organization."

The Eagles still have a hole at wide receiver after Jeremy Maclin's departure. Kelly said that he doesn't know if the team will address it in free agency and that he thinks it's a "really good draft for wide receivers." He expressed confidence in the development of Jordan Matthews and Josh Huff, Riley Cooper's return, and the roles that the tight ends and Darren Sproles can play in the passing game. . . . Kelly said the Eagles would send quarterbacks coach Ryan Day to the pro days for all the top quarterbacks, which he used to explain the reason the Eagles were linked to Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota's workout on Thursday.