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Tyrann Mathieu

Texans Offered Tyrann Mathieu Over $9.5MM Per Year

March 11th, 2019 at 11:42am CST by Rory Parks

We heard last week that the Texans had made a contract offer to safety Tyrann Mathieu in the hopes that they could convince him to steer clear of the free agent market. We now know that the deal was a long-term pact worth over $9.5MM per year, as Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com tweets. Mathieu has elected to test the market instead, though he still wants to remain in Houston.

It is a very crowded safety market, but after free agent safeties struggled to find new homes and lucrative deals last season, it appears the increased supply of safety talent this year will not further diminish the demand. To the contrary, it seems that Mathieu may have been wise to turn down Houston’s offer, as he looks to be in high demand around the league (plus, we don’t know the length of Houston’s offer or the guaranteed money it contained).

The Ravens and Buccaneers have been rumored as potential fits, with plenty of chatter linking Mathieu to Baltimore in recent days. The Honey Badger was once the highest-paid safety in football, but he was cut by the Cardinals two years into a $12.5MM/year extension and revived his career in Houston after inking a one-year, $7MM pact with the Texans last March.

In 2018, the 26-year-old (27 in May) looked much like he did when he was at his best in Arizona, starting all 16 games and recording two picks and three sacks. Pro Football Focus appreciated his efforts, grading him as the 21st-best safety in the league.

La Canfora’s Latest: Mathieu, Ravens, Bucs

March 6th, 2019 at 9:18pm CST by Dallas Robinson

While the Texans are attempting to retain Tyrann Mathieu, both the Ravens and Buccaneers have “serious interest” in the veteran defensive back, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Baltimore just released fellow safety Eric Weddle on Tuesday, while Tampa Bay has been in need of secondary help for years. Mathieu inked a one-year, $7MM deal with Houston last year, but he’s expected to receive a significant raise on his next contract. Per La Canfora, Mathieu should be able to collect $24MM over the first two years of a new deal.

Here’s more from JLC:

  • Overall, the safety market is not expected to be as depressed as it was a year ago, when Mathieu, Eric Reid, Kenny Vaccaro, Tre Boston, and others were forced to settle for one-year pacts. Earl Thomas will set the market and is asking for $13MM annually, per La Canfora. Meanwhile, former Giants safety Landon Collins — now on the market after New York declined to franchise him — will likely come in below Thomas, and Bears defender Adrian Amos is searching for $9-10MM per year.
  • While there aren’t any clear-cut, No. 1 wideouts available this offseason, slot receivers are aplenty, and they should get paid, says JLC. Golden Tate is looking for $13MM per season, while Adam Humphries may be targeting $10MM annually and has already been deemed too expensive to return to the Buccaneers. Cole Beasley could also get $10MM per year, while John Brown wants $8-9MM per season.
  • Offensive tackle Daryl Williams is expected to reach the open market, and La Canfora reports Williams’ price has already “soared” above where the Panthers are comfortable paying. Both the Bills and Giants are expected to target Williams, and both connections make sense. Buffalo employs former Carolina staffer Brandon Beane as its general manager, while ex-Panthers GM Dave Gettleman is in charge in New York.
  • The Raiders have already been mentioned as a potential suitor for Chargers receiver Tyrell Williams, and the Colts could also join the fray, per La Canfora. Williams is expected to earn more than $12MM per year on his new deal.

Safety Notes: Weddle, Mathieu, Collins

March 5th, 2019 at 7:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

In somewhat of a surprising sequence on Tuesday — some Ravens staffers were surprised by this move, per NFL.com’s Peter Schrager (on Twitter) — Eric Weddle is now a free agent. Although the 34-year-old safety said in January he would retire if he was not part of the 2019 Ravens, he backtracked on that. His stance remains to continue his career, according to Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (on Twitter). On the heels of three Pro Bowl slates in Baltimore, Weddle stands to generate interest as a short-term fix. It will, however, be interesting to see how teams proceed at this position this year — after oddly brushing it aside in 2018. There are far more safeties available this year, giving this the feel of another buyers’ market.

Here is the latest from the safety marketplace:

  • One player whose market may be in better position than it was last year, Tyrann Mathieu will have options. The Texans are trying to re-sign the seventh-year safety, and this process has now produced a preliminary offer, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets. Mathieu is believed to still want to remain in Houston, Wilson writes, and the parties have been linked to a reunion for months. But with less than a week until the legal tampering period, the 26-year-old defender is a threat to depart.
  • The Ravens already have several veteran contracts in their secondary, helping explain their reasoning to cut Weddle, but Jason La Canfora tweets they may be interested in Mathieu. Tony Jefferson‘s former back-line mate in Arizona, Mathieu would fit Baltimore’s desire for another playmaker at this position, JLC adds.
  • The Giants‘ decision to let Landon Collins hit free agency shocked much of the football-following world, and Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports there will be an extensive market awaiting the three-time Pro Bowler and 2016 All-Pro. The Chiefs, Colts and Redskins profile as potential suitors, per Raanan. This move also may affect future Giants negotiations, reminding of how Dave Gettleman‘s tactics as Carolina’s GM rubbed some Panthers the wrong way, with Raanan adding the team made no serious attempt to discuss a long-term deal with its high-profile safety.
  • New York received multiple offers for Collins prior to last year’s deadline, most notably a third-rounder from the Buccaneers, but Ralph Vacchiano of SNY notes the Giants were holding out for a second-rounder and possibly another late-round pick as well. Now, they will lose the safety for a compensatory pick — possibly a 2020 third-rounder, but that depends on what the Giants do in free agency.
  • Collins hitting the market should prompt the Colts to pursue him, with Joel Erickson of the Indianapolis Star writing the team — which uses a system that values safeties more than most teams — needs a strong safety to pair with Malik Hooker. The Colts engaged in discussions with Clayton Geathers‘ reps at the Combine, but it’s not clear where the sides stand in talks on a Geathers return to Indianapolis. The Colts have already re-signed Mark Glowinski and Margus Hunt, but both players were initially Chris Ballard-era additions. Geathers was a Ryan Grigson second-round pick. The Colts still hold more than $100MM in cap space, putting them in strong position to land Collins if they choose.
  • The 49ers remain in the market for a starting-caliber safety, per Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area (on Twitter). With former Seahawks assistant Robert Saleh running their defense, Earl Thomas is a natural fit. But Maiocco notes the team may not be willing to meet a massive asking price. There are, however, plenty of available candidates beyond Thomas to fill this role.

Latest On Tyrann Mathieu, Jadeveon Clowney

March 3rd, 2019 at 8:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Texans have not deviated from their Jadeveon Clowney plan. A franchise tag before Tuesday afternoon’s deadline is imminent. The team is still trying to keep Tyrann Mathieu off the market as well.

Houston is making a push to retain Mathieu before he hits free agency, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle notes. No deal is imminent at this juncture, however.

After the season ended, Mathieu indicated he wanted to be back with the Texans. Bill O’Brien said at the Combine he hopes a deal will be finalized. The team has the money to make that happen, holding more cap space ($80.9MM) than all but two teams. But the safety market appears to have restarted, after going to a strange place in 2018, and the former All-Pro will likely want a deal closer to the one he inked with the Cardinals in 2016 than the one-year, $7MM pact he signed with the Texans.

Prior to Eric Berry‘s $13MM-per-year deal, Mathieu was the league’s highest-paid safety — at $12.5MM AAV. He may not be in position to land that, but with Landon Collins and Earl Thomas potentially set to be franchise-tagged (in Collins’ case) or sign a new big-money deal, the 26-year-old Mathieu may want to see what his market looks like. Eric Reid signed a deal far more lucrative than any team was willing to authorize last year, and Lamarcus Joyner is expected to hit free agency, too, pointing to an interesting signing period for this position.

As for Clowney, he is not expected to sign his franchise tender soon after the Texans tag him, Wilson adds. His impending tag means the Texans have barely a week left with exclusive Mathieu negotiating rights. The legal tampering period begins March 11.

Extra Points: Rams, Singleton, Pats

February 10th, 2019 at 12:32pm CST by Rory Parks

There is a definite post-Super Bowl lull in the NFL world right now, and while we will soon be talking about free agent rumors and the April draft in earnest, today is not that day. But there is still professional football to watch if you’re interested, and there are a few NFL items of note to discuss, so let’s get to them:

  • Vincent Bonsignore of The Athletic examines how the Rams might address some of their biggest needs this offseason. The club is projected to have about $41MM in salary cap space, and Bonsignore suggests that LA must find a dominant edge rusher to take some pressure off of Aaron Donald. Luckily, this year’s draft features quite a bit of pass rushing talent if the Rams choose to steer clear of the pricey free agent market for edge defenders.
  • Todd Gurley will obviously be back with the Rams, but given his history of knee problems, and the impact that his most recent knee injury had on the team’s playoff run, Bonsignore says LA will think long and hard about adding another back to share the load (we learned last week that the club is interested in bringing back C.J. Anderson). He also suggests that the Rams could bring back Ndamukong Suh on a two-year deal, and that Mark Barron could be a cap casualty.
  • The Bengals will hire Jemal Singleton as their running backs coach, per Jeremy Rauch of Fox 19 (via Twitter). Singleton previously served in the same capacity with the Colts from 2016-17 and with the Raiders in 2018.
  • Jenna Laine of ESPN.com examines a few free agents that the Buccaneers might consider, a list that includes safety Tyrann Mathieu — who of course has a history with new head coach Bruce Arians — and kicker Matt Bryant.
  • After the recent exodus of coaching talent, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com names a few Patriots coaching assistants who could be elevated to position-coach roles. Cole Popovich, Mike Pellegrino, DeMarcus Covington, and Brian Belichick could all be promoted in short order.
  • Pro Football Focus released its list of the top 10 players eligible for free agency in March and projected the contracts those players might land. Five of the top six players are edge rushers, including Jadeveon Clowney, the top player on the list, whom PFF expects to land a six-year, $135MM deal with $85MM in guarantees. Clowney, of course, is expected to be hit with the franchise tag, so if he gets a contract of that size this year, it will likely come from the Texans.

AFC Rumors: Broncos, Crennel, Rhule, Henry

January 6th, 2019 at 12:21pm CST by Rory Parks

Mike Munchak is once again a popular head coaching candidate, with at least four teams interested in his services. But we heard last night that Munchak has strong interest in the Broncos‘ opening, and Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (video link) reports that Munchak has emerged as the early favorite for that position. Helping the Broncos’ cause is the fact that Munchak has family, including a granddaughter, in the Denver area.

Now for more rumors and rumblings from the AFC:

  • The Broncos are blocking other teams from interviewing senior personnel adviser Gary Kubiak for offensive coordinator jobs, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Kubiak wants to remain in Denver anyway, but he has expressed interest in returning to the sidelines as an OC, and the Broncos would like him to serve in that role under whomever they hire as their next head coach (assuming that person is comfortable with such an arrangement). The Bengals and Falcons had requested interviews.
  • Texans free agents-to-be Kareem Jackson and Tyrann Mathieu want to be back in Houston next year, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. There has been no word on whether the Texans will move to re-sign Jackson, but the team does want Mathieu back, as we learned yesterday.
  • Romeo Crennel is expected to return as the Texans‘ DC in 2019, per head coach Bill O’Brien (via Wilson on Twitter).
  • The Jets have interest in interviewing Baylor head coach Matt Rhule for their own HC vacancy, and Rich Cimini of ESPN.com suggests that Gang Green will get an interview with Rhule (Twitter link). The team is in Dallas interviewing Cowboys defensive backs coach Kris Richard today, and Albert Breer of SI.com believes New York brass could interview Rhule while they’re in Texas (Dallas is about 90 minutes from Waco).
  • Patriots defensive end Trey Flowers should be able to land a lucrative free agent deal this offseason, but since he is not a prototypical speed-rushing DE, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com believes it is difficult to pin down what his value will be on the open market. Reiss suggests Flowers could return to New England after testing the free agent waters.
  • The Chargers will remain without tight end Hunter Henry for today’s playoff bout in Baltimore, but if LA wins today, Rapoport says that Henry will be activated tomorrow in the hopes of suiting up against New England next week.
  • Rapoport reiterates that Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco will not be back in Baltimore next season, but Flacco (unsurprisingly) wants to continue his playing career, and Rapoport suggests that he will get an opportunity as a starter (video link). The only real question is whether Baltimore will be able to trade him or if the club will be forced to cut him.
  • In addition to Flacco, the Ravens will need to decide what to do with impending free agent C.J. Mosley in the offseason. It would probably be unwise to sink too much money into an inside linebacker who struggles in coverage, but Mosley’s leadership abilities for a defense that could be losing a number of key veterans will certainly be a factor in contract negotiations, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic.

Texans Eyeing Clowney, Mathieu Deals

January 5th, 2019 at 4:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although their playoff opener is not going too well thus far, the Texans entered Saturday with clear offseason goals. They want both Jadeveon Clowney and Tyrann Mathieu to be part of their 2019 team.

While re-signing both long-term may be difficult, that is the path Houston wants to take, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (video link). Both defenders are set for free agency come March.

Talk of a Clowney extension cooled off considerably in 2018, when the standout defender was battling another knee injury. But he has played well this season, making his third straight Pro Bowl. The Texans want to, at the very least, keep Clowney around for 2019 via the franchise tag. Rapoport calls that move a “very viable option.” This has been rumored for a bit now, even though it is not the Texans’ preferred option.

This would force the Texans to re-sign Mathieu long-term, if they want to keep him around. That’s a scenario the former All-Pro safety is interested in unfolding. With the safety market taking odd turns this year, Mathieu had to settle for a one-year commitment. It’s likely he will be able to do better in 2019.

Earl Thomas, Landon Collins, Lamarcus Joyner, Tre Boston, Kenny Vaccaro and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix may hit the market, or at least a few members of this group. That would make for another interesting offseason involving safeties. As for Clowney, his asking price surely spiked when the deals for Aaron Donald and Khalil Mack were finalized.

Houston is projected to possess $72MM-plus in cap space, which is in the top 10. The Texans already extended Benardrick McKinney and will have Deshaun Watson becoming extension-eligible after this season. And after J.J. Watt reclaimed his place on the All-Pro first team, the Texans will probably have to carve out room for another major extension for the three-time defensive player of the year.

Extension Talks Between Texans, Tyrann Mathieu Likely

November 24th, 2018 at 3:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

In an offseason where the top safeties were oddly ignored, the Texans gave Tyrann Mathieu $7MM on a one-year deal. The mid-level investment’s worked out thus far, and it might not be the last Mathieu contract with the franchise.

Mathieu and the Texans have not begun discussions on an extension, but it’s likely they will, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.

The fifth-year safety is not expected to barrel toward free agency without hearing the Texans’ best pitch to keep him off the market, Wilson notes, adding that Mathieu’s expected to give the Texans the first crack at an offer.

Mathieu is “most definitely” interested in signing to stay in Houston, he said this week. But it will surely take more than $7MM per year to make that happen.

In a strange offseason for safeties, Mathieu received the most in per-year dollars. Of the other top safeties, only Morgan Burnett (three years, $14MM) signed for more than $4MM per year. Tre Boston, Kenny Vaccaro and Eric Reid signed one-year deals. They figure to be back on the market in 2019 in hopes of cashing in, which sets up another interesting offseason at this position.

It may be a crowded marketplace, however. If Mathieu reaches free agency, he may join Earl Thomas, Lamarcus Joyner, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Landon Collins. Not all of these names are likely to make it to free agency, but some will. With much bigger names en route to UFA status, the safety position figures to be valued more appropriately compared to what happened this year.

Mathieu was once the NFL’s highest-paid safety, but the Cardinals cut bait on that $12.5MM-per-year extension after two seasons. But if he continues on course, the 26-year-old standout should be on track to pursue a deal in that ballpark again.

Houston is projected to possess plenty of cap space ($73MM-plus) and would be able to discuss a Mathieu deal even after applying the franchise tag to Jadeveon Clowney. Being used more as a pure safety and not a slot defender like he was in Arizona, Mathieu has 61 tackles, three sacks and two interceptions in 10 games.

Texans Notes: Clowney, Watson, Mathieu

May 28th, 2018 at 11:39am CST by Sam Robinson

Jadeveon Clowney did not practice during the first set of Texans OTAs last week because of a surgery he underwent in the offseason, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports. Clowney had arthroscopic knee surgery after the season but remains sidelined as Houston’s offseason program commences, per Wilson, who adds the fifth-year edge defender recently sought a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews. While the additional medical counsel and the lengthy time off could be deemed a cause for concern, Wilson reports the outlook for Clowney is positive here. An extension for the former No. 1 overall pick has been on the Texans’ agenda for a bit now, and the team is eyeing what promises to be a landmark contract being finalized before the regular season. It doesn’t look as though this knee issue will cloud that. Although, no deal is imminent just yet.

Here’s the latest out of Houston, as its NBA franchise prepares for a rather significant game.

  • As expected, Deshaun Watson participated in part of the Texans’ OTAs. The second-year quarterback took part in individual drills, per Bill O’Brien (via John McClain of the Houston Chronicle). However, Watson also participated in some of the seven-on-seven portion of the workout. Pointing out Watson has not experienced any setbacks this offseason, McClain notes the Texans’ starter is expected to be 100 percent by the time training camp begins. “My knee feels well,” Watson said. “I’m comfortable to be able to throw and get the timing down with the receivers. There’s really no timeline on ACLs. It’s just dependent on how that person feels. I feel good.”
  • Tyrann Mathieu isn’t lobbying for the Texans to use him the way the Cardinals did. The Texans are, for now, planning on keeping their newly signed defensive back at the safety position exclusively. And Romeo Crennel‘s plan for Mathieu helped attract the free agent safety to Houston, he said. This comes after Mathieu spent plenty of time in the slot with the Cards. “Yeah, it definitely helps me slow things down,” Mathieu said of the safety-only role, via HoustonTexans.com. “Just focusing on one position, trying to be the best at that, rather than just being good at everything. So, I think it’s important for me to just embrace it like I have been and just trying to continue to grow as a safety.”

Extra Points: Cards, Texans, Colts, Redskins

May 16th, 2018 at 9:50pm CST by Dallas Robinson

While the NFL world this week learned Cardinals second-round rookie Christian Kirk was arrested for disorderly conduct and property damage in February, prosecutors may not have a strong case against the former Texas A&M wideout. The main witness cited by police was lying on a bench and not watching while a van window was allegedly broken by Kirk and his friends, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. That same witness claims he saw Kirk and a friend throwing rocks at other cars, but no damage was reported on any other vehicle. The case against Kirk is still pending, but Arizona knew about the arrest before making him the 47th overall pick in the draft. It’s unlikely Kirk ever faces any legal ramifications from the incident, while the league has avoided suspending players involved in pre-NFL off-field trouble.

Here’s more from around the league:

  • Tyrann Mathieu was famously versatile during five seasons with the Cardinals, but the Texans — Mathieu’s new football home — have a more fixed set of objectives for the Honey Badger, as Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle writes. “We talked about that when we were speaking to him during the process,” said Texans head coach Bill O’Brien. “We told him that we really do value – as you know – we value versatility, but we also understand that a guy needs to have basically one home. He needs to understand and master that one home, which is safety for Tyrann. Then, in different packages that are played less of the time, maybe he does something else.” Mathieu inked a one-year, $7MM deal with Houston earlier this year, and that figure has surprisingly stood as the highest annual value for any non-franchised free agent safety contract this offseason.
  • Free agent quarterback Cody Keith is working out for the Colts on Wednesday, and previously auditioned for the Chargers and Rams, per Rapoport (Twitter link). A former four-star recruit, Keith was limited by injuries during his collegiate career at East Carolina, and was only attempted just 11 passes before moving to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Since that time, Keith has spent time in the Canadian Football League and in the Spring League, working on Johnny Manziel‘s team in the latter venture.
  • The Redskins announced that they’ve hired Brian Lafemina as their new president of business operations and chief operating officer. While the hiring doesn’t involve football operations on its face, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk speculates that Lafemina’s addition could be a precursor the Washington parting ways with much-maligned team president Bruce Allen. However, the Redskins’ press release states Allen will continue in his current role, while John Keim of ESPN.com hears Twitter link) Lafemina will focus mainly on stadium development.
  • Speaking of business operations, new Panthers owner David Tepper may look to hire former Browns president and CFO Mike Keenan, tweets Rapoport. Keenan, who was team president in Cleveland from 2008-10, has recently worked in consulting, per Rapoport, and working with clubs in multiple sports. While Tepper may make changes on the business end once he takes over in Carolina, he’s not expected to revamp the Panthers’ football staff.
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