Tyrann Mathieu - Pro Football Rumors

Cardinals, Tyrann Mathieu Talking Extension

May 11th, 2016 at 5:13pm CST by Zachary Links

Contract talks between safety Tyrann Mathieu and the Cardinals are once again in motion, agent Tom Condon tells Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic. No deal is imminent at this time, but Cardinals GM Steve Keim is on record as saying that a new deal for the player formerly known as Honey Badger is a priority. The Cardinals and Mathieu discussed an extension back in February, but things ostensibly were put on hold during the madness of free agency and the draft.

Mathieu is slated to earn a modest $1.5MM salary in his contract year. Of course, his negotiations are complicated after he underwent surgery in December to fix his torn ACL. Mathieu, who will not take the practice field until training camp this summer, could be in line for more than $10MM per year on his new deal. However, as Somers notes, the Cards might want to see how Mathieu looks before committing that kind of cash.

The former third-round pick is one of the league’s hardest hitters at his position and is an impact player when he’s on the gridiron. However, Mathieu has missed eight games across his three NFL seasons and the team likely has concerns about his durability.

“More than anything he’s a football player regardless of position and he’s a guy who can be a difference maker,” Keim told PFT. “The hardest part of it all is in three years he has had two significant knee injuries. Aside from that Tyrann has done everything right on and off the field and he’s a guy that we envision as hopefully a face of the program moving forward.”

In 2015, Mathieu earned a Pro-Bowl selection and was named First-Team All-Pro. In his 14 games, Mathieu recorded five interceptions, 89 tackles, 1 sack, 17 passes defensed, and also recorded a defensive touchdown.

In other Cardinals contract news, Condon tells Somers that no contract talks have taken place regarding fellow client Calais Campbell. The defensive lineman is slated to carry a hefty $15.25MM cap number this year with a salary of $9.5MM. Condon claimes that the team’s selection of Robert Nkemdiche in last month’s draft has no bearing on Campbell’s future in Arizona, but I personally do not agree with the agent’s assessment of the situation. It’s also worth noting that the Cardinals traded for standout defensive end Chandler Jones earlier this offseason and there probably isn’t enough money in the budget to dole out big bucks to both players in the long-term.

Campbell, 30, is coming off of his second-straight Pro Bowl season, but the Cardinals will have some tough choices to make if they hope to retain Jones. After defensive lineman Malik Jackson and Olivier Vernon received monster deals this offseason, the Cardinals may have pay Jones $20MM or more per season on a multi-year deal.

In late March, Campbell dumped troubled agent Ben Dogra in favor of Condon.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NFC Notes: Tulloch, Schofield, Reed, Cardinals

May 9th, 2016 at 2:20pm CST by Luke Adams

Way back in February, a report surfaced suggesting that the Lions were planning to release veteran linebacker Stephen Tulloch when the new league year opened. However, the first week of the league year came and went without any roster moves involving Tulloch, and he has remained a Lion for nearly two more full months since then.

Appearing on PFT Live on Monday, Lions general manager Bob Quinn said there’s still “a chance” that Tulloch remains with the team for the 2016 season. However, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that the linebacker’s release is likely “imminent.” That comes as no surprise — Detroit reportedly made efforts to work out a trade involving Tulloch, but it seems there hasn’t been any movement on that front.

Here’s more from around the NFC:

We heard last week that free agent linebacker O’Brien Schofield is interested in rejoining the Falcons. According to head coach Dan Quinn, the door is “never closed with Scho.” However, as Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com details, the two sides have been unable to agree on contract terms, despite the fact that Atlanta made Schofield an offer.
Master Tesfatsion of the Washington Post breaks down the specific details on Jordan Reed‘s long-term extension with Washington, which is worth $48.421MM over five years.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk previews the extension talks between the Cardinals and defensive back Tyrann Mathieu, which should become more serious in the coming weeks or months.
Ex-NFL quarterback Byron Leftwich has a new job, having joined the Cardinals as a coaching intern under Bruce Arians, as Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com outlines. The former Jaguars starting quarterback will be with Arizona throughout the offseason and in training camp. “After that, we’ll see,” Arians said. “Hopefully I can keep him all year. I think he’s got a great, bright future in coaching.”

Extra Points: Thomas, Mathieu, Browner, Draft

April 6th, 2016 at 10:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the Broncos continue to reside up against the salary cap, ESPN.com’s Field Yates points out Demaryius Thomas‘ contract can help the Super Bowl champions clear $9.18MM worth of space.

A clause in the seventh-year wide receiver’s five-year, $70MM deal indicates the Broncos can convert any amount of Thomas’ $13MM 2016 salary into a signing bonus, which would then be spread out over the final four seasons of the pact, Yates reports. The Broncos reducing that salary to the veteran minimum of $760K would free up $9.18MM of cap space this year. The team currently resides in cap peril, with barely $1MM in space before signing Jared Crick on Wednesday, as it attempts to work out a Colin Kaepernick trade.

A Thomas restructure would make sense for the Broncos, who have many high-priced contracts on a cap sheet — although, Ryan Clady and Von Miller‘s respective $10.1 and $14.1MM numbers could well be reduced soon, or removed in Clady’s case — that doesn’t include a high-priced quarterback. Denver currently wants Kaepernick at $7MM for 2016 and ’17, but in 2017, the Broncos are as of now set to have $72.36MM of space — second-most in the league.

They’d have more room for a higher Thomas cap number with contracts like Clady’s and DeMarcus Ware‘s off their balance sheet after the 2016 league year. The Dolphins put a similar clause in Ndamukong Suh‘s deal last year.

Here’s the latest from around the league.

Rehabbing from the torn ACL he sustained in Week 15, Tyrann Mathieu said he would prefer to stay with the Cardinals long-term but acknowledges the negotiation could be tricky, with the versatile defensive back wanting a top-end contract but at a time when he’s coming off a second knee surgery, Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com writes in an expansive piece. “They have concerns, which is understandable,” Mathieu told Prisco. “I’ve had two knee surgeries. At the same time, they know who I am as a teammate, as a football player, what I mean to the community and what I can do on the football field. The easiest thing is to pay me as a safety. But if [Patrick Peterson‘s] guy goes down, I have to check Pat’s guy. For me, it’s about me being compensated for everything I do.” In late February, we heard the contract-year safety and the Cardinals were discussing an extension, but nothing has emerged from those talks as of yet.
Vernon Davis can earn up to $4.5MM in 2016 if he meets all the incentives of his Washington contract, Mike Jones of the Washington Post reports. Davis’ deal is officially a one-year, $1.66MM pact, but the 12th-year tight end meeting those as-of-now unspecified performance incentives could more than double that.
Brandon Browner posted on his Instagram account (via Katherine Terrell of NOLA.com) that he played through a torn MCL last season with the Saints. The recently released cornerback said he tore the ligament in the Saints’ first preseason game. This would help explain a steep decline that resulted in Pro Football Focus bestowing by far its worst full-time cornerback grade on Browner in 2015.
Paxton Lynch has a Cowboys visit lined up for Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, and will trek to San Diego for a Chargers meeting soon after. The 49ers also sent multiple representatives to observe the Memphis prospect at his pro day Wednesday, per Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
The Bills received good value on a nontraditional quarterback accord last season and still employ Tyrod Taylor but are taking a wide-ranging glance of this year’s quarterback crop. Bills reps ate dinner with Lynch and plan to visit with Connor Cook, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The team also already met with Christian Hackenberg, per Albert Breer of NFL.com, and has done plenty of research on Jared Goff.
Lynch had multiple work-related meals Wednesday, with the Saints meeting with the first-round prospect over lunch, Rapoport tweets. Indiana quarterback Nate Sudfeld will also visit the Saints soon.
The Cowboys met with Carson Wentz on Wednesday, according to the team’s website. The North Dakota State prospect also worked extensively with Cowboys coaches at the Senior Bowl.
Germain Ifedi has a busy schedule upcoming after performing for teams at Texas A&M’s pro day Wednesday. The Aggies’ latest tackle prospect has a slew of visits and workouts booked, WalterFootball.com’s Tony Pauline reports. Ifedi’s visit itinerary features summits with the Lions, Panthers, Bears and Texans after having already met with the Titans and Dolphins. The Cardinals, Buccaneers, Cowboys, Panthers, Texans and Falcons have scheduled workouts with Ifedi.
Veteran quarterback Seth Lobato is working out for the Panthers, according to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).

Zach Links contributed to this report

West Rumors: Kaepernick, Clady, Mathieu

March 18th, 2016 at 2:02pm CST by Luke Adams

It looked increasingly likely last week that 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick would be on the move, with the Broncos and Browns among the teams exploring a potential deal. However, the tide appears to have turned on Kaepernick this week — at least for now.

Adam Schefter of ESPN.com is the latest to report that the 49ers look poised to keep Kaepernick on their roster beyond April 1, the date when his $11.9MM base salary for 2016 becomes fully guaranteed. That guarantee date won’t preclude the Niners from surveying trade options for the QB prior to – or during – this year’s draft though, so it’s possible that talks with the Broncos, Browns, or another club could re-ignite in a few weeks.

Let’s round up some other Friday updates from out of the NFL’s West divisions….

There are four or five teams considering a trade for Broncos left tackle Ryan Clady, a source tells Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). Clady is available now that Denver has added Russell Okung. Still, given the modest contracts signed by Okung and Kelvin Beachum this week (both deals have team opt-outs after year one), I’d be a little surprised if any clubs are willing to give up much to take on Clady’s $9.5MM salary. Like Okung and Beachum, Clady is no sure thing going forward when it comes to health.
During an appearance on PFT Live, Cardinals defensive back Tyrann Mathieu acknowledged that his lack of a defined position in Arizona’s secondary could complicate extension talks with the team. “It’s gonna be kind of a wrestling match,” Mathieu said of those contract negotiations. “But at the end of the day as long as we understand it’s a business and as long as we take care of our relationships I think it’ll be all right.”
The Raiders have already had an extremely eventful offseason, but there’s a case to be made that they should still make one more splash. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com lays out that case, making an argument for why general manager Reggie McKenzie should make an effort to land Muhammad Wilkerson in a trade with the Jets.
The 49ers have officially announced five coaching additions for Chip Kelly‘s staff, with the most notable changes coming on defense — Joe Bowden takes over as the team’s inside linebackers coach, replacing Hardy Nickerson, who left to become Illinois’ defensive coordinator.

Cardinals, Tyrann Mathieu Discussing Extension

February 20th, 2016 at 3:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

Last month, we heard lining up an extension for Tyrann Mathieu resided as a top offseason priority for the Cardinals. The team’s making good on those intentions and is negotiating a long-term deal for the standout defensive back, Cardinals GM Steve Keim tells James Palmer of NFL.com (Twitter link).

The Cardinals are being proactive with their former third-round gem, with the window for a Mathieu extension just recently opening after the former LSU star finished his third season.

Mathieu’s agreement will undoubtedly make him one of the highest-paid defensive backs due largely to the fourth-year Cardinal’s versatility. The 23-year-old Mathieu earned first-team All-Pro honors despite tearing his ACL against the Eagles in Week 15.

Pro Football Focus listed Mathieu as its top-rated cornerback, bestowing a 91.6 grade on the Cardinals’ hybrid performer — well clear of its No. 2 outside stopper, Darius Slay. The top individual analytics site lists Mathieu as a corner due to his extensive work in the slot when Arizona shifted to its sub-packages. The Honey Badger’s officially listed as a safety and played there when the Cardinals went into their base defense, but that was only 33% of the time.

So, Mathieu can at the very least expect a contract in line at least in the top bracket of safeties and will probably aim to be paid among the league’s best corners in these negotiations.

Earl Thomas, Devin McCourty and Jairus Byrd are the only safeties to earn $9MM per year on average. Mathieu’s age, elite athleticism and potential ascent could put him clear of each of those performers and place him among the highest-paid defensive backs.

The Cardinals already gave Patrick Peterson a top-market deal that averages $14.01MM per season. That accord ranks behind only Darrelle Revis in terms of AAV. Seven corners average eight-figure earnings, with several members of that group not on Mathieu’s level at present.

Keim also told Palmer (Twitter link) Mathieu’s rehab’s progressing on schedule, with the GM professing Mathieu’s on track to be back at full strength.

Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images

2016 Proven Performance Escalators

February 12th, 2016 at 5:53pm CST by Dallas Robinson

According to the NFL’s contractual bargaining agreement, players drafted in rounds three though seven are entitled to raises during the fourth year of their respective rookie contracts. The pay bumps are tied to playing time — a player must have played in 35% of his team’s offensive or defensive snaps in two of his first three seasons, or averaged 35% playing time cumulatively during that period.

If one of these thresholds is met, the player’s salary is elevated to the level of that year’s lowest restricted free agent tender — that figure is projected to be $1.696MM in 2016. Players selected in the first or second round, undrafted free agents, and kickers/punters are ineligible for the proven performance escalator.

Here are the players who will see their salary rise in 2016 courtesy of the proven performance escalator:

49ers: Gerald Hodges, LB

Bears: Marquess Wilson, WR

Buccaneers: William Gholston, DE; Mike Glennon, QB; Akeem Spence, DT

Cardinals: Andre Ellington, RB; Tyrann Mathieu, CB/S; Alex Okafor, LB

Chargers: Keenan Allen, WR

Colts: Sio Moore, LB; Hugh Thornton, G

Cowboys: J.J. Wilcox, S; Terrance Williams, WR

Dolphins: Jelani Jenkins, LB; Dallas Thomas, T; Dion Sims, TE; Kenny Stills, WR

Eagles: Bennie Logan, DT

Falcons: Kemal Ishmael, S; Levine Toilolo, TE

Jaguars: Josh Evans, S; Dwayne Gratz, CB

Jets: Brian Winters, G

Lions: Larry Warford, G

Packers: David Bakhtiari, T; Micah Hyde, S

Patriots: Duron Harmon, S; Chris Jones, DT; Logan Ryan, CB

Raiders: Mychal Rivera, TE

Rams: T.J. McDonald, S

Ravens: Ricky Wagner, T; Brandon Williams, DT

Saints: Terron Armstead, T; John Jenkins, DT

Seahawks: Luke Willson, TE

Steelers: Markus Wheaton, WR

Titans: Brian Schwenke, C

Washington: Jordan Reed, TE

NFC Notes: Mathieu, Lions, Panthers

February 12th, 2016 at 1:02pm CST by Luke Adams

A January report indicated that getting an extension done with Tyrann Mathieu will be a top priority for the Cardinals this offseason, and GM Steve Keim confirmed as much during an appearance on Arizona Sports 98.7FM on Thursday (link via Adam Green of ArizonaSports.com).

“It’s hard to say that that we’ll be able to get something done for sure, but we certainly have that goal in mind and there’s no doubt that this organization wants Tyrann Mathieu to be a fixture here for years,“ Keim said.

Here’s more from around the NFC:

The Lions are set to hire Broncos offensive assistant Brian Callahan as their new quarterbacks coach, according to Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (via Twitter). With Jim Bob Cooter having been promoted from QBs coach to offensive coordinator in the fall, Detroit needed someone to fill his old role.
The Panthers are making some changes to their special teams staff, with Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer tweeting that the club has parted ways with assistant ST coach Russ Purnell, and Marvez tweeting that Curtis Fuller will return to a defensive role rather than helping out with special teams in 2016. According to Person and Marvez (Twitter links), Buccaneers ST coach Kevin O’Dea, 49ers ST coach Thomas McGaughey, and former Panthers linebacker Chase Blackburn are getting interviews for spots on Carolina’s special teams staff.
Marvez also reports (via Twitter) that the Giants are hiring Jeff Zgonina as their assistant defensive line coach, which should complete Ben McAdoo‘s staff.
The Panthers were one game away from a championship this past season, but GM Dave Gettleman vows he’ll remain patient this winter when it comes to making roster decisions, and won’t force any moves in an effort to get the team over the top. Bill Voth of Black and Blue Review has the details and the quotes from Gettleman.
Despite one report suggesting he hopes to land a $5MM annual salary, it would be an upset if tight end Zach Miller leaves the Bears this offseason, says Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com. Dickerson doesn’t predict a potential price tag for Miller, but suggests he’d be next in line for a larger role if the team trades or cuts Martellus Bennett.

West Notes: Mathieu, LA, Raiders

January 25th, 2016 at 7:54pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

We learned Sunday that the Cardinals will try to lock up jack-of-all-trades defender Tyrann Mathieu this offseason. Now Mathieu, who has one year left on his rookie contract, says he hopes to stay in Arizona long term.

“Obviously, I love this team, I love this locker room, I love the coaching staff, upper management. I think this is the perfect place for me. I wouldn’t mind spending the rest of my life here,” the All-Pro safety stated Monday, per Darren Urban of the team’s website.

More from the NFL’s two West divisions:

Negotiations between the Rams and Chargers are “ongoing,” tweets Jason Cole of Bleacher Report, as the Bolts continue in their efforts to partner with the Rams in Los Angeles. The two sides have been talking “for nearly a week straight” and are “making progress,” adds Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (Twitter link).
If the Chargers do end up in LA and the Raiders are unable to work something out with Oakland, they could view San Diego’s stadium situation as an upgrade – at least for the short term – according to Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune. In San Diego, the Raiders would have Qualcomm Stadium to themselves, which isn’t the case in Oakland. The Raiders and A’s both play at O.co Coliseum, and the Raiders “hate” sharing the stadium, Krasovic writes.
Regardless of the disdain they have for their current stadium, the Raiders are likely to remain in Oakland next season, reports Bill Williamson of Fanrag Sports (Twitter link). The club has until March 31 to make a decision for 2016, but it might have to make a determination sooner, per Williamson. That could mean staying in Oakland for at least another year.

Tyrann Mathieu Extension Will Be Offseason Priority

January 24th, 2016 at 11:27am CST by Rory Parks

Cardinals safety Tyrann Mathieu may have one year remaining on his rookie contract, but according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (article via Conor Orr of NFL.com) Arizona GM Steve Keim wants to sign the dynamic playmaker to a long-term deal this offseason, a deal that would presumably make Mathieu one of the highest-paid safeties in the league.

And Mathieu has certainly earned it. Despite missing the last two games of the 2015 regular season–and all of the playoffs–due to a torn right ACL, the Honey Badger earned First-Team All-Pro honors for the first time in his career. He tallied 17 pass breakups, 80 tackles, and a forced fumble this year to go along with five interceptions–one of which he returned for a touchdown–and he ranked as the league’s best cornerback per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required).

You read that right. PFF lists Mathieu as a cornerback, even though the Cardinals list him as a safety. In early December, PFF’s Sam Monson explains why, an explanation that highlights Mathieu’s value to his team. Arizona considers Mathieu a safety because that’s the position he plays in the Cardinals’ 3-4 base defense. However, the Cardinals run their base defense on only 33% of their defensive snaps. In all other sub-packages, Mathieu plays cornerback, usually serving as the slot corner. Because he excelled as a corner in college, Mathieu has had little trouble adapting to that role in the NFL. As Monson point outs, Mathieu has played every position in the back seven at some point this season.

It therefore does not take much to see one potential snag in the impending negotiations between Mathieu and the Cardinals. As Mathieu himself observed back in October, elite corners get paid more than elite safeties, especially in today’s pass-happy league where teams have to pay a premium for corners who can cover. Seattle’s Earl Thomas gets paid at the highest average annual value among safeties, at $10MM per year, whereas three cornerbacks–including Mathieu’s teammate, Patrick Peterson–enjoy an AAV of at least $14MM. Mathieu’s camp will therefore look to a contract like Richard Sherman‘s as a benchmark–four years, $56MM, with $40MM of guarantees–while the Cardinals are more likely to see Devin McCourty‘s recent five-year, $47.5MM deal (with $22MM in guarantees) as a more optimal starting point. But given that Mathieu is both a strong cover corner and a ball-hawking playmaker, I would expect that his next contract would pay him more like a top-flight corner, even if he doesn’t quite reach Sherman/Peterson/Darrelle Revis territory (the fact that Mathieu tore his left ACL and LCL in December 2013 could also keep his price down).

It has been something of a bumpy road for Mathieu to get to this point in his career. He was dismissed from LSU in August 2012 for a violation of team rules, and just two months later, he was arrested for possession of marijuana. Those troubles caused Mathieu’s draft stock to fall quite a bit, and he was ultimately selected in the third round of the 2013 draft. But not only has he put his off-field difficulties behind him, he has also become one of the Cardinals’ emotional leaders. As Orr writes, “[Mathieu’s] production alone is scary, but the emotional value Mathieu has brought to the team only increases his price tag this offseason.” Mathieu has traveled with the team throughout the postseason, and the ACL tear he suffered in December was reportedly a “clean” tear, which means that he should be ready for OTAs. But whenever Mathieu steps on the field again, he may do so as a very rich man.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

NFC West Notes: Dawson, Niners, Rams

December 31st, 2015 at 11:01am CST by Luke Adams

49ers kicker Phil Dawson will turn 41 next month, which would make him one of the NFL’s oldest players, but the 17-year veteran wants to sign a new contract and continue his career next season, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. Dawson also believes he can still handle kickoff duties, a role the Niners handed over to rookie punter Bradley Pinion this season.

“I miss [kicking off],” Dawson said. “I’ve always enjoyed that aspect of the game, and I still feel like I can do it. But Bradley has done a tremendous job, and he’s helped the team. So (there’s) no problem here on that front.”

For now, Dawson hasn’t spoken to the 49ers about signing an extension with the club, but he hopes to discuss the topic sometime after the regular season finale, and it sounds like he intends to convey an interest in remaining in San Francisco.

“When the proper time and place comes, I’ll definitely communicate how I feel about this place and how grateful I am to have been here for three seasons,” Dawson said. “But the time is not now for those conversations.”

Here’s more from around the NFC West:

The two running backs signed by the 49ers last week received multiyear deals, according to Maiocco, who tweets that DuJuan Harris was signed through 2016 and Jarryd Hayne was locked up through 2017.
The fact that the Rams get all stadium revenue for football, including naming rights, is a key aspect of St. Louis’ stadium proposal, says Howard Balzer of The SportsXchange (Twitter links). The plan also includes a rebate on amusement tax, and revenue from the lease if an MLS team moves in, which should make it more appealing to the Rams and to the NFL.
With his contract set to expire at season’s end, Rams quarterback Case Keenum will be looking for a more permanent NFL home this winter, and he’s increasing his free agent value with a nice run to end the year. If he can lead the Rams to victory in San Francisco this weekend, Keenum will finish the season with four straight wins. Michael Wagaman of The Associated Press examines the QB’s situation.
Cardinals defensive back Tyrann Mathieu will go under the knife next Tuesday, undergoing a procedure to repair his torn right ACL, per Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com.