Tyrann Mathieu visiting Patriots on April 5th, and that's a great thing.
The New England Patriots have moved from Free Agency mode to Draft mode. News came out today of the Patriots hosting RB Marcus Lattimore, and now there's another player of interest coming in next week...
Yes, that's right, Tyrann Mathieu (The Honey Badger) is coming to New England for a visit. And I for one am pretty happy this is happening. Say what you want about him, he's too small, he hasn't played for a year, he likes pot, etc... The kid can play ball. And the secondary is still a bit of an issue for the Patriots, despite improvement last year with the arrival of Aqib Talib.
You can definitely see Mathieu having an immediate impact on this team. He's a smaller guy, so put him in the slot for now, and hopefully this will help him learn how to defend the bigger and quicker NFL receivers so he can move to the outside when Talib ends up leaving (I think he's gone next year, or the year after that). He'll be an upgrade on Kyle Arrington in the slot. And he'll also have a surefire impact on Special Teams. Screw Jeff Demps if he wants to run track, we'll settle for Mathieu and Leon Washington returning kicks. Not only is he good at returning kicks, but he's had impact on oppositions punt returns too, as he has a great skill for stripping the ball.
So on the field, he'll be a success. If you're worried about off the field, that's fair enough. But he says he just wants to play football, as he realises how much he loved it when it was taken away from him. And you have to take him at his word. Besides, who's better at dealing with guys with "character issues" and turning them into stars than Bill Belichick? Add to that Aqib Talib, who knows what it's like to overcome the same difficulties Mathieu is dealing with, to mentor him while he's still around. It looked like Talib had taken on a leadership role in the secondary, allowing him to help Mathieu will be nothing bit good.
Finally, I think the defense needs more, and I hate this word, swagger. It needs what the likes of Talib, Brandon Spikes and Chandler Jones have brought. There's a clip of BB breaking down tape, and the defense made a play and didn't celebrate. BB criticized this, saying something along the lines of "You made a great play, enjoy it and then move on to the next one". Mathieu will celebrate when he makes a play, that's certain, and he'd bring confidence and energy to the whole defense.
Not just the defense, but the whole of the Patriots fan base. Adding a guy with that certain something, controlled but not shut down completely. Just go out, make some plays, and be sensible off the pitch. Let your on field action do the talking. Heck, how much does do Pats fans love Rob Gronkowski? Mathieu will do the same thing on the defense. And that, if we get him, will be something to look forward to...
Do you want the Honey Badger? Comment below, or tell me on Twitter @BrendanAnnely
Former LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu will visit with the Patriots on April 5, according to a source.
— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) March 29, 2013
Yes, that's right, Tyrann Mathieu (The Honey Badger) is coming to New England for a visit. And I for one am pretty happy this is happening. Say what you want about him, he's too small, he hasn't played for a year, he likes pot, etc... The kid can play ball. And the secondary is still a bit of an issue for the Patriots, despite improvement last year with the arrival of Aqib Talib.You can definitely see Mathieu having an immediate impact on this team. He's a smaller guy, so put him in the slot for now, and hopefully this will help him learn how to defend the bigger and quicker NFL receivers so he can move to the outside when Talib ends up leaving (I think he's gone next year, or the year after that). He'll be an upgrade on Kyle Arrington in the slot. And he'll also have a surefire impact on Special Teams. Screw Jeff Demps if he wants to run track, we'll settle for Mathieu and Leon Washington returning kicks. Not only is he good at returning kicks, but he's had impact on oppositions punt returns too, as he has a great skill for stripping the ball.
So on the field, he'll be a success. If you're worried about off the field, that's fair enough. But he says he just wants to play football, as he realises how much he loved it when it was taken away from him. And you have to take him at his word. Besides, who's better at dealing with guys with "character issues" and turning them into stars than Bill Belichick? Add to that Aqib Talib, who knows what it's like to overcome the same difficulties Mathieu is dealing with, to mentor him while he's still around. It looked like Talib had taken on a leadership role in the secondary, allowing him to help Mathieu will be nothing bit good.
Finally, I think the defense needs more, and I hate this word, swagger. It needs what the likes of Talib, Brandon Spikes and Chandler Jones have brought. There's a clip of BB breaking down tape, and the defense made a play and didn't celebrate. BB criticized this, saying something along the lines of "You made a great play, enjoy it and then move on to the next one". Mathieu will celebrate when he makes a play, that's certain, and he'd bring confidence and energy to the whole defense.Not just the defense, but the whole of the Patriots fan base. Adding a guy with that certain something, controlled but not shut down completely. Just go out, make some plays, and be sensible off the pitch. Let your on field action do the talking. Heck, how much does do Pats fans love Rob Gronkowski? Mathieu will do the same thing on the defense. And that, if we get him, will be something to look forward to...
Do you want the Honey Badger? Comment below, or tell me on Twitter @BrendanAnnely
