Broncos add G Evan Mathis, who says he passed bigger deal elsewhere

Evan Mathis was scheduled to make $5.5 million from the Philadelphia Eagles this year, and $6 million next season. He complained about his contract situation, got cut and didn't see any of those base salaries.

Mathis ended up costing himself a lot of money, though he insists he turned down a $5.5 million deal to play for a contender for less money. Mathis agreed to a one-year deal with the Denver Broncos on Tuesday, and it's for $2.5 million. He can make up to $4 million if he hits certain playing time bonuses, according to 9News' Mike Klis.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said that Mathis turned down a $5.5 million deal with another team so he could play with a contender, though Mathis' agent Drew Rosenhaus also tried saying the Oakland Raiders were interested in defensive end Greg Hardy as he tried to get Hardy a deal, and Raiders owner Mark Davis strongly denied that. Mathis himself said on Twitter that he turned down a $5.5 million deal. Mathis deleted that tweet.

Theoretically Mathis could make up the money in free agency next year, though he'll turn 34 during this season. Mathis previously said that he doesn't regret asking the Eagles to add incentives to his deal, and he doesn't know if his complaints were the reason he was cut. He thinks he might have just made too much money for a guard in Chip Kelly's plans. Kelly said the decision was just based on money.

Despite the pay cut, Mathis ends up in a good situation. The Broncos needed offensive line help, and Mathis provides that instantly. He's a great fit for the Broncos and new coach Gary Kubiak's zone-blocking scheme. The match seemed inevitable, though presumably Mathis was waiting to see if he could get a larger deal elsewhere. With the Broncos, Mathis lands on a team that has won four straight division titles and should be a serious contender in the AFC again.

It's a nice pickup for the Broncos and a good spot for Mathis. It's just for significantly less than he was going to make on his previous job, even if he claims that was a voluntary decision.