Baltimore Ravens: 3 reasons they must sign Tyrann Mathieu

Here are three reasons why Tyrann Mathieu is exactly what the Baltimore Ravens need:

1. It would take care of a major need:

The Baltimore Ravens have a glaring need at the free safety position. They just cut Eric Weddle. It was a move that made fiscal sense and football sense as Weddle is 34 years old. The Ravens are now left with a gaping hole for their defense. Fans are kidding themselves if they think DeShon Elliott can be inserted into the free safety spot without a hitch. The Ravens have a bunch of strong safeties. They have Tony Jefferson, Elliott, Chuck Clark and Anthony Levine Sr. at the strong safety spot. None of these players can give the Ravens what Tyrann Mathieu can.

Mathieu is actually a player that is very similar to Weddle. He’s a bit of a hybrid player as he can really play either safety position. Mathieu, who will be going into his seventh NFL season is on a very similar statistical path as Weddle was at the same point. Weddle was good for one to three picks per season and there were a couple of seasons with a handful of interceptions. Matheiu has had at least one interception in every year of his career and he has had two or more interceptions in four seasons. He’s got cover skills and range. He can make plays and he can prevent big plays for the other team.

In Weddle’s first season with the Ravens he was a versatile player who was on top of his game. He had 13 passes defensed in 2016. In 2018, Weddle had three passes defensed. There is no doubt that Weddle lost a step and the Ravens still had the number one defense in the league. The Ravens are losing some defensive talent this year no matter how they slice it. Mathieu would be a big addition and a dramatic upgrade in athleticism at the free safety spot. Baltimore has to make this move. While fixing up the offense with talent is a priority, they can’t ignore such a dire need for the defense.