Dallas Cowboys: Tyrann Mathieu makes sense if released

If the Arizona Cardinals do release free safety Tyrann Mathieu, the Dallas Cowboys need to do what it takes to get him signed

The Dallas Cowboys haven’t had a ball hawking free safety patrolling the back end of their defense for years. In 2017,t hey made a lot of improvements down the stretch, but this one glaring hole lingers. It could be filled should the Arizona Cardinals release free safety Tyrann Mathieu.

Recent reports are suggesting such a thing could happen as several outlets, like CBS Sports, are saying that Mathieu was asked to take a pay cut by the Cards and a release could follow if no agreement is made between him and the team.

Mathieu is a game changer, but injuries and a coaching change could lead to him being expendable in Arizona. He’s torn both his ACLs and dealt with upper body injuries as well. That’s an extensive injury report for a guy that’s just 25-years old, but he did play all 16 games in 2017 which shows he can stay healthy.

For Dallas, picking him up makes a ton of sense. First, they recently moved free safety Byron Jones back to corner after the two year experiment with him at safety didn’t work. While Jones was fine as a safety, he wasn’t special and forced minimal turnovers.

The Honey Badger though seems to find the ball. In five seasons, he has 11 interceptions, 41 pass defenses and four forced fumbles. As always, the kicker will be money. Mathieu likely won’t come cheap and Dallas isn’t loaded with cap space.

However, in 2015 they found a way to move cash around to sign Greg Hardy as a defensive end. Their hope was to fill a position of dire need to make a run. They need the same approach here as someone with a skill set like Mathieu is vital to them trying to catch up in the NFC East.