Kansas City Chiefs: How new safety Tyrann Mathieu fits into defense
By Kole Berrey
The Chiefs have not only one, but two alpha dogs in the the back end of the secondary. So can Berry and the Honey Badger compliment each other?
The short and long answer is unequivocally yes. As already mentioned, Mathieu excels all over the field. He isn’t predominantly a box safety like Landon Collins, or just a straight free safety (Eric Berry’s position) like Earl Thomas.
Mathieu can play both safety spots, slot corner, and even nickel linebacker if needed. His ability to be moved all over the field will be vital. Not only can he allow new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to be creative with packages and blitzes, but he is an iron man that can play both the pass and the run.
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Mathieu is so talented because he is a good player in almost all areas. His weaknesses are very limit. He can cover tight ends, backs, and receivers. He can stick his nose in on all running plays. He has even proven himself as a valuable pass rusher when blitzing from the corner spots. He had three sacks with the Houston Texans just last year, making him a Swiss army knife of a player.
Having Mathieu on the team will allow Spags to get the best players on the field in the right situations. No matter what package he calls, they can have Mathieu on the field. They can take a linebacker off the field in goal line situations, bring in an extra defensive lineman and then have Mathieu play the box.
Passing down? Don’t worry. Armani Watts and Berry can handle the back end, and Tyrann and Kendall Fuller can go to work on locking down receivers.
Need to confuse a quarterback? Send the Honey Badger on a blitz of the edge and drop a different defender into coverage. Versatility is his biggest asset, and he has it in spades.
The question of if he can play with Berry on the field is misguided. He could play with almost any combination of players in the league. The bigger question is if Eric Berry will be on the team when the Chiefs kick off their new season next year.
Having two safeties getting paid $13 million (Berry) and $14 million (Mathieu) a year sounds impossible, but based on how the contracts are set up, it is more likely than most would think.