Recognized as one of the very best safeties in the league. I'd say this is pretty positive.

https://twitter.com/Mathieu_Era/stat...21999679897730

Honey Badger is definitely elite at his position. Not sure where the hate is coming from. One of the highest graded safeties in the league and I don’t think we’re really using him to his greatest strengths. I’d be bringing him off the edge from time to time. It is getting kind of old seeing every single player get **** on even when they’re high performers.

No hate... just reality and factually correct. The Badger had his time... it is now time for him to bow out, is all. Sorry. again, no hate.

It can’t be factually correct when he’s posting elite PFF grades in back to back years. He had 75 tackles and 4 picks last year. 91 tackles and 3 picks the year before. Now if you’re saying you think he’s about to fall of because he’s 32 then that’s cool, but that’s a prediction, not a fact. The fact is he hasn’t fallen off and he’s posting his best career numbers since 2015 in New Orleans. Also, elite safeties can tend to last a little longer than other positions. Darren Sharper joined us at 34 and practically led that defense to a Super Bowl with 71 tackles, 9 picks, and 3 TDs. You don’t have to be 25 at every position to be a good team or be set for the future.

Us not using him to his great strengths, or many of the extremely talented players at our disposal not being properly utilized, is a glaring example of our top-down mismanagement. Extremely frustrating.

we will see, won't we? Last season Mathieu was too scared or timid to stick it to a receiver...too Old?? but i really hate being right when it comes to the detriment of the Saints football team. Maybe it is time for him to hang the cleats and begin reminiscing on his glory days...hell become a coach, or analyst... time to let the young stud shine, don't you think? obviously this coming from an older and wiser man

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.

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.

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.