Eagles release Pro Bowl guard Mathis

Some marriages are headed to an obvious divorce, and on Thursday that time finally came for Pro Bowl guard Evan Mathis and the Philadelphia Eagles.

Mathis, who has asked for trades each of the past two offseasons, did not attend Philadelphia’s voluntary offseason workouts and was prepared to skip out on next week’s mandatory training sessions. He was seeking a new deal to replace the five-year, $25 million deal he signed in 2012. He is represented by Drew Rosenhaus, who has previously had clients leave Philly with a bad taste in the mouths of all involved parties.

According to Eagles coach Chip Kelly, there have never been any takers for Mathis, who is now 33.

“Evan’s been available to trade for two years now and we’ve never had an offer for him,” Kelly said at the time of the NFL Draft. “That’s through his agent and him. They’ve asked if he could renegotiate a contract and see what he could get and we’ve obliged him with that, but we’ve never had an offer.”

Pro Football Focus rated Mathis as the best guard in the NFL from 2011-13. He played only nine games last year because of injuries.

The interesting question now becomes where Mathis will end up next. There are multiple teams that could use his services, with the Giants, Vikings, Seahawks, Broncos and Raiders being on the short list of logical candidates.

Patriots to sign Matt Flynn

Apparently Jimmy Garoppolo left a lot to be desired in his offseason practices, because the Patriots will be adding veteran backup Matt Flynn to their roster today. ESPN reported the quarterback agreed to terms with New England on Thursday.

Flynn will sign a one-year deal with New England, which heads into next year under the presumption that Tom Brady will remain suspended for the first four games. Brady’s appeal hearing before Roger Goodell will be on June 23.

Flynn will go into training camp as New England’s No. 3 quarterback, but one would assume he will have a chance to win the one-month temp job that is Patriots starting quarterback during the preseason.

The LSU product has bounced around since entering the league in 2008, spending two stints with the Packers as well as go-rounds in Seattle, Oakland and Buffalo. Flynn was given a huge free-agent deal by the Seahawks in 2012 before unexpectedly getting supplanted by then-unheralded rookie Russell Wilson in the preseason.

He has 17 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in his career.

Cromartie, Winslow engage in entertaining Twitter beef

News can be slow in the offseason. But that slowness can also allow some pretty hilarious things to rise to the top of the headlines. The Twitter feud between out-of-the-league Kellen Winslow Jr. and former Jets teammate Antonio Cromartie certainly took the cake in that regard on Thursday.

Cromartie did a silly TV interview segment with teammate Dee Milliner that was posted Wednesday, which Winslow found offensive enough to take to the offensive on Twitter.

“Cromartie is one of the biggest posers i have ever seen and played against. Prolly the last guy I would take down an alley with me,” Winslow tweeted. “Worry about yourself cro. Stop talkin. Your not even close to the best. You got bad feet and are scared to jam.

“Just speaking my mind this morning. Anybody who talks to their teammates like that… Can’t respect em.”

Cromartie did not take long to take things to the next level – and we do mean the next level – dropping the mic by mentioning that Winslow’s Hall of Fame dad was a better player AND referencing an incident in which Winslow was accused of masturbating in a Target parking lot. (When you’ve got that in your background, you best be careful when going on the offensive.)

“you wish you were as good as your dad,” Cromartie chirped. “Have you been to TARGET lately?”

At this point Winslow literally wanted to fight.

“we should get in the ring,” Winslow responded. “Let me know. I’ll whoop that ass.”

Yesterday, Winslow restarted the warfare by going for the jugular.

“U wish you were a Dad. Learn your kids names,” Winslow tweeted.

Cromartie, who has 12 kids with nine different women, famously struggled to remember their names and ages in a 2010 “Hard Knocks” episode.

He has yet to respond to that sick burn, though Jets coach Todd Bowles seemed to get involved while addressing the media about players using social media.

“It’s the players’ prerogative,” Bowles said. “They can be themselves, but be smart about it.”

Neither Cromartie nor Winslow fit that description of intelligence this week, but that made it all the better for us to enjoy.