It goes without saying that the Arizona Cardinals have made some significant changes since the retirement of former head coach Bruce Arians this offseason. Among them was the release of safety Tyrann Mathieu, who has since signed with the Houston Texans.

There has been some speculation that the decision was due to his declining performance in recent years. However, it seems all head coach Bill O'Brien needed to convince him that Mathieu could still play at a high level was the confirmation of Arians, via NFL Up To The Minute:

“Arians told O'Brien that ‘I would stand 10 times on a table for Tyrann Mathieu,'” Palmer said. “That meant a lot to Bill O'Brien. He met with Mathieu, saw what Arians was saying and that played a big part in bringing (Mathieu) to Houston.”

Arians' stamp of approval should hardly come as a surprise. He and the Cardinals were willing to take the gamble on Mathieu by taking him in the third round of 2013 NFL Draft after a stellar, yet troublesome college career at LSU.

RECOMMENDED (Article Continues Below)
Texans owner Cal McNair

Benjamin Adducchio ·

Needless to say, they got plenty of bang for their back as Mathieu made an immediate impact in Arizona's secondary. Unfortunately, the team decided to move on after he refused to take a pay cut at their request.

Mathieu garnered plenty of attention on the open market. However, it was not long before he decided to sign a one-year, seven million deal with Houston this offseason. If he is able to confirm Arians' confidence in him, there is no doubt that he may end up being one of the best additions in free agency.