The free agent safety market is going to be filled with big names. Players like Adrian Amos, Earl Thomas, and Eric Weddle will all be free agents. One of the biggest names available is Houston Texans safety Tyrann Mathieu. Houston has indicated they'd like to keep Mathieu, but they opted to use their franchise tag on Jadeveon Clowney, meaning Mathieu will get to pick his next destination.
If Mathieu does choose to leave the Texans, he'll have no shortage of suitors across the league. One team that's expected to be very interested in his services is the Baltimore Ravens, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports.
La Canfora expects the Ravens to make a “strong push” for Mathieu in free agency. He writes that the team wants a playmaker next to fellow safety Tony Jefferson. The Ravens released veteran safety Eric Weddle earlier today, which La Canfora thinks could be a “precursor” to a signing of Mathieu.
Mathieu was drafted by the Cardinals in 2013 and soon became a star. He blossomed into one of the best safeties in the league and was named a first-team All-Pro in 2015. He spent the first five years of his career in Arizona but was released last year after refusing to take a pay-cut.
He signed a one year deal with the Texans last March worth $7 million, which allowed him to re-enter the market this offseason. This time around, he'll likely be looking for a multi-year deal. With Weddle's hefty contract off the books, Baltimore will have added flexibility to pursue him.
Matthieu's play has fallen off a little bit the last couple of years, but he's still an above average safety. He received a 75.1 grade from Pro Football Focus last year, which ranked 21st among all safeties.
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