Honey Badger: Elite ot too old?
 

A discussion on this issue started in the Sunshine Oasis thread. What's your opinion?

Original post:


SFIAH

Re: Honey Badger: Elite ot too old?
 

Discussion so far:

Re: Honey Badger: Elite ot too old?
 

My opinion is i am correct. Mathieu is old news, and should step aside. ya know. For the TEAM! :beatnik:

Re: Honey Badger: Elite ot too old?
 

Elite until proven otherwise. Great in coverage. Willing tackler to be so small. Excellent leader. Hometown kid. Wonderful for the locker room and the community. Super cheap contract for his production. Wish we would have snatched him up years ago when he was leaving the Texans.

Re: Honey Badger: Elite ot too old?
 

Wish all you want.... i deal with reality... too old, and needs to step aside. Great Team leader and all, excellent point... differential positive playmaker...doubtful. Hope I am wrong.... but, :beatnik:

Re: Honey Badger: Elite ot too old?
 

Mathieu is a good player on a reasonable contract. The sort of contract Kamara was probably offered and rejected and that would be a lot more reasonable for Lattimore than his current deal. Mathieu also seems to be a good leader. Mathieu and Davis are both on reasonable contracts and coming off very good years so if they continue to produce at the same level then great, but if father time takes its toll we are ok too.

As for Mathieu being in his best shape ever, as athletes go from their 20's to their 30's, it is often the case that strength/power/mental game increase and speed/quickness/durability decrease. Thats just biology. An athlete is likely to emphasize the positive, focus on some amount they benched, and say 'I am in the best shape ever' but realistically in other respects I doubt they run as fast or that their back aches less. So to me I know that everything cannot be better as an athlete reaches their 30's, but if some of the things that should be better are, then great, thats something. But I am not too focuses on it either way.

I would not condemn an undersized aging player who is otherwise effective for sometimes trying to reduce the amount of contact they endure. Lets say you had an aging Sam Mills. Would the absolute best use of his talents be to seek out head on collissions with Bo Jackson? If Mathieu can be relatively effective while occasionally avoiding a major collision that may be smart football. Deion Sanders was a quality player, I believe even as a safety late in his career, but I do not know that he was known for seeking out contact.

Realistically, Tyrann is neither the most elite safety nor washed up. For what he is paid and the leadership he provides he is a fine value. He may decline because of age, which is why we don't give him DeShaun Watson's guaranteed contract, but he is a decent player for a reasonable contract with modest short term guarantees. Just don't sign him to some 4-5 year deal where we get him for $1 million next year but will owe $30 million if he is cut or retires.

Re: Honey Badger: Elite ot too old?
 

great points... again.. other teams.. what is it, 4 other teams, obviously did not see that, and probably saw it the way i do... reality and facts is all. :beatnik:

Re: Honey Badger: Elite ot too old?
 

Once again, he made the top 50. That is elite. People were saying the same thing last at the start of the season and he balled out. Sometimes 1+1= 2. :dunce:

Re: Honey Badger: Elite ot too old?
 

Re: Honey Badger: Elite ot too old?
 

your opinion... i have my own... which is right by the way;):beatnik:

Re: Honey Badger: Elite ot too old?
 

Hopefully it is the right attitude...winning, pride, strength... not settling for the paycheck sorta thing. :beatnik:

Re: Honey Badger: Elite ot too old?
 

Neither one of us is right or wrong. I'm not disrespecting your opinion. You have yours and I have mine. No one is right all the time. It's not a question of right or wrong. It's about polite civil debates. Maybe we can meet in the middle and keep our self respect. Who Dat!

Re: Honey Badger: Elite ot too old?
 

i have plenty of self respect thank you, as I am sure you do. I am just more confident in my opinion. don't fret... :beatnik:;) we dat!

Re: Honey Badger: Elite ot too old?
 

He will get some opportunities this year to make some plays. The CB's will largely have their guys on lock down. I can see him having six interceptions this season. The defense is legit.

Re: Honey Badger: Elite ot too old?
 

six interceptions... highly unlikely. He will not even "stick" the receiver anymore. Too old. :beatnik:

Re: Honey Badger: Elite ot too old?
 

The production of the defense will depend on whether the defensive line can pressure the QB and/or stop the run. Pressures lead to INT's. Chase Young obviously has great talent but its never been totally clear if he is the same after injury and his effort has been questioned. Cam Jordan at an advanced age coming off a season stolen by a secret twisted ankle that is 100% better and is absolutely the worst injury to have at that age but fortunately never recurs or leads to worse injury is a big question mark. Payton Turner can't stay healthy. Everyone else on the dline has never been better than mediocre. And our linebackers are not known for pass rush. So are many INT's possible? Sure. But we would have to pressure the QB. Maybe the quietest subject in Saints history needs to be brought up: If Bresee doesn't start he is a bust no matter how he 'looks.' You don't spend 1st round picks on year 2 backups.

Re: Honey Badger: Elite ot too old?
 

Saints were 7th in interceptions and only 23rd in sacks. Pressure helps create turnovers, but it isn’t a necessary component.