Philadelphia Eagles: Darius Slay needs to call Tyrann Mathieu

The Philadelphia Eagles are a pretty good team.

They aren’t consensus Super Bowl contenders, mind you, or even locks to win their division, but for a talented free agent looking to find a new, long-term home, Philly is a clearly better landing spot than about a dozen cities across the NFL, especially if the money is comparable.

So, if a talented defensive back in his prime finds himself with an opportunity to play for the New Orleans Saints or the Birds on Broad Street, one would think Philly would get the slight edge, right, especially if they come correct with a competitive offer? We might just find out soon enough, as LSU legend Tyrann Mathieu just finished up a virtual meeting with Howie Roseman, Jonathan Gannon, and company, and according to Ian Rapoport, Philly has become a “prime location for one of the top free agents.”

Will Mathieu spurn the other dozen or so teams’ interest in his services to fill the role once occupied by his fellow former Tiger, Jalen Mills, or will this all just serve as a step in a journey to a team like the Las Vegas Raiders, the Baltimore Ravens, or *gasp* the Dallas Cowboys? Only time will tell, but if I were Darius Slay, I’d be on the open STAT, as recruiting the “Honeybadger” should be his top priority.

Darius Slay needs to secure the Philadelphia Eagles an upgrade at safety.

When Darius Slay’s playing days are done, his college, Mississippi State, should do everything in their power to get the former second-round pick on their payroll, as he’s got a gift for recruiting that could prove incredibly useful for the Bulldogs.

He successfully convinced Steven Nelson to sign in Philly after a spring of low-key badgering, tried the same with Odell Beckham Jr. and Chandler Jones in the fall of 2021, and will surely do so again the next time a premier player wants out of their respective team, even if it means competing with Jalen Hurts in A.J. Brown’s mentions on Instagram.

But now, three-ish weeks before the 2022 NFL Draft, Slay might just have his biggest challenge yet, as he could help to turn the tides on one of free agency’s lingering questions and secure his squad with a massive – in heart, not size – upgrade on the back of their defense in Super Bowl champion Tyrann “Honeybadger” Mathieu.

Would Mathieu be an upgrade over basically any option the Eagles could pursue in free agency or the draft? You bet, outside of maybe Kyle Hamilton, who is a good bit bigger and might spend some time at linebacker, you won’t find a safety with more schematic versatility than Mathieu, as he played 200-plus snaps in the slot, in the box, and deployed deep from the free safety spot; a feat very few other players regardless of position can boast. Throw him in the strong safety spot and kick Anthony Harris back over to the free side and watch him instantly upgrade the safety spot in a way Eagles fans haven’t seen consistently since Malcolm Jenkins called Philly home during the regular season.

Now granted, I’ll be the first to admit that I didn’t really see an obvious fit for Mathieu in Philly. I assumed he’d want to go to a scheme that used more of a traditional box safety a la Jenkins and didn’t have a slot cornerback like Avonte Maddox already locked up but recall, if you will, that Harrison Smith played some fantastic football under Gannon’s mentor Mike Zimmer, and that could be the model for his role in South Philly. Even if he begins any given play a bit further off the line than he was accustomed to in Kansas City, Houston, or Arizona, having a dynamic role versus the pass and the run could prove enticing enough to genuinely make Philly a “prime location,” especially if they come correct with the money.

Could this all be for not? You bet, in his initial report on the Philadelphia Eagles’ interest, Jordan Schultz explicitly mentioned that Tyrann Mathieu could “take time” in deciding on his new home, and that very well appears to be the case. But goodness, could you imagine if this actually comes to fruition, especially if he shouts out Darius Slay in his introductory presser? My goodness, the vibes would be immaculate.