The Philadelphia Eagles aren’t in win-now mode.
Despite their initial success under Nick Sirianni, which saw the team win six of their final nine games down the stretch on their way to a spot in the playoffs, the Eagles still need to load up on talent to really take a swing at the Super Bowl again… right?
I mean, they did just sign two great linebackers in Haason Reddick and Kyzir White, were able to trade for one of the best young wide receivers in the NFL in A.J. Brown, and drafted a pair of Georgia Bulldogs, Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean, who should be able to contribute in a big way right away; if things break just a tad bit in Philly’s favor, the Cowboys take a step back, and neither Washington nor New York magically puts it all together, why couldn’t the Eagles win the NFC East for the first time since 2019?
Well, if the Philadelphia Eagles want to #GoForIt, they should probably place another call to Tyrann Mathieu, as he’s reportedly been talking to his hometown New Orleans Saints once more about a new contract and may not be on the open market for that much longer.
Mathieu would increase the Philadelphia Eagles’ odds of winning the NFC East.
Right now, the Philadelphia Eagles’ secondary is a pretty big question mark.
Sure, they have Darius Slay and Avonte Maddox, who are both really good, and Anthony Harris is back for his second season in midnight green, but besides them, the Eagles will have to welcome two new starters, as Rodney McLeod and Steven Nelson are both gone and won’t be coming back after signing new deals with the Indianapolis Colts and the Houston Texans respectively.
While the addition of Tyrann Mathieu won’t magically fix all of the Eagles’ issues, as he can’t play perimeter cornerback, his presence could seriously help the team’s defensive fortitude in the middle of their defense, which was a weak spot for much of the 2021 NFL season.
In 2021, Mathieu was one of the rare players who logged 200 or more snaps at deep safety, in the slot, and deployed in the box, and was darn good at all of them, as his Pro Bowl status clearly backs up. His ability to read an offense is second to none, as is his willingness to take on opposing players when the ball is thrown even remotely in his vicinity, and, at 29, he still has plenty of good football left in front of him – football he will play with a pretty big chip on his shoulder after watching the team he won a Super Bowl with replace him with a younger, less-heralded option in ex-Houston Texans safety Justin Reid.
Hmm… a chip on his shoulder, you say? Philly fans know nothing about that sort of thing, I assure you.
Whether deployed double-digit yards off the line of scrimmage, placed in the box, or even flexed out to the slot in dime packages opposite Maddox and a linebacker like Kyzir White or Nakobe Dean, Mathieu could be the second legitimate difference-maker in a secondary that currently only features one, and help to contribute both against the run and the pass in a variety of different ways.
Do you recall folks calling Jordan Davis a “force multiplayer” during the pre-draft process for his ability to make the lives of his fellow defensive linemen easier? Well, Mathieu can do the same to a defensive secondary, especially if he’s deployed over a cornerback like… well, like whoever is going to be the Eagles’ CB2 this fall, as Tay Gowan/Zech McPhearson/Josh Jobe could use far more effective support over the top than Slay needs on his typical right side.
With A.J. Brown set to make only $3.986 million in this, the final year of his rookie contract according to Spotrac, this might be the Eagles’ best chance to steal a player like Mathieu while his market is depressed and watch the final years of his prime play out in midnight green.
Can the Philadelphia Eagles afford Tyrann Mathieu’s contract? Probably. They currently have $8.1 million in available cap space, according to Spotrac, and could easily work out a deal in the $10 million-per-year range if Howie Roseman wants to work his magic. Will he? Only time will tell, but after failing to address the secondary in the draft and watching all of the good free agent cornerbacks sign elsewhere, Mathieu is one of the few legitimate difference-makers left on the proverbial board and could be an impact player for the Philadelphia Eagles from Week 1.
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May 02, 2022 at 09:30AM
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Philadelphia Eagles: There’s still time to sign Tyrann Mathieu - Section 215
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