Philadelphia Eagles v Dallas Cowboys

Jordan Matthews #81 of the Philadelphia Eagles scores a touchdown in the third quarter during a game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles at AT&T Stadium on October 30, 2016 in Arlington, Texas.

(Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

The Eagles deserve credit for this: Truly subscribing to the "no one is untouchable" philosophy of running a franchise makes sense.

Of course, we know quarterback Carson Wentz is untouchable in 99 percent of trade talks. Everyone else should be on the table. That includes wide receiver Jordan Matthews. But unless the haul coming back is so amazing that it's impossible to pass up, the idea of moving on from Matthews is a bad one.

Here's why.

Underrated player.

Since entering the NFL as a second-round pick out of Vanderbilt in 2014, Matthews has posted the following numbers: 225 receptions, 2,673 yards, 19 touchdowns.

Those 225 receptions place Matthews 11th all-time in receptions by a player in his first three years (since the NFL merger in 1970). Players with less catches in their first three seasons: Issac Bruce, Tory Holt, Andre Johnson, Jerry Rice, Marvin Harrison, Calvin Johnson and all but 10 great players.

As for yards in those first three years (noteworthy considering that Matthews is considered a possession receiver by so many): Matthews' total topped Harrison, Jeremy Maclin, Victor Cruz and Terry Glenn.

As for the drops, a problem that's been apparent for Matthews since his rookie season? Since 2014, here are Matthews' year-by-year drop totals: 6, 5, 6. For all the criticism Matthews gets in Philadelphia for drops, his catch percentage of 65 percent ranks 18th in the NFL since 2014.

Build up the receiving group for Wentz, don't subtract.

When envisioning the best possible group of weapons for Wentz to throw to in 2017, Matthews should be part of the solution. If the Eagles could land a Brandin Cooks in a trade and sign Terrelle Pryor or Pierre Garcon in free agency, Matthews as a No. 3 option in the slot would create a dynamic trio.

The Eagles could go from having one of the NFL's worst group of wide outs to one of the best. Subtracting Matthews while adding upgrades doesn't help that math work.

Player A vs. Player B.

Here's a fun exercise.

Player A since entering the NFL in 2014: 225 receptions, 2,673 yards, 19 touchdowns.

Player B since entering the NFL in 2014: 215 receptions, 2.861 yards, 20 touchdowns.

Objectively, Player B has been better, more explosive and slightly more apt at finding the end zone. The big difference here is about 10 yards per game for Player B.

Their identities: Player A is Matthews. Player B is Cooks.

Also worth noting: Cooks has played his entire run with future Hall of Famer Drew Brees. Matthews has been paired with Nick Foles, Mark Sanchez, Sam Bradford and rookie Wentz.

Trust Howie Roseman with contracts.

Matthews is due for a deal after 2017. If the team trades for Cooks, having two young wide receivers up for contracts at the same time isn't ideal. But let's give some credit to Philadelphia's general manager for what he does best: Structure deals, read the room and set the franchise up for long-term success.

Joe Giglio may be reached at jgiglio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoeGiglioSports. Find NJ.com on Facebook.