The Cardinals think they may have gotten the best playmaker in the draft when they drafted former LSU defensive back Tyrann Mathieu in the third round and now they’ve gotten him under contract.
The team announced Thursday that they have reached agreement on a four-year deal with Mathieu. Shortly after Mathieu was drafted, Peter King of SI.com reported that the Cardinals would be offering Mathieu a contract without guaranteed money, something Mathieu’s agent unsurprisingly said was not acceptable to his client. There’s no word yet on the financial details, but it would be surprising if Mathieu backed off that demand with the deal getting done in May.
Mathieu will be starting his Cardinals career as a safety instead of at the cornerback spot he played while at LSU before he was dismissed from the team following failed drug tests. He’s also expected to put that playmaking ability on display in the return game, although the Cardinals also have Patrick Peterson to bring back punts.
With Mathieu under contract, the Cardinals now have three draft picks left to sign. That group includes first-round guard Jonathan Cooper.