Making the case against Tyrann Mathieu on the Jets via FA

The New York Jets shouldn’t waste their time and more importantly, their money, on free agent safety Tyrann Mathieu.

So far in free agency, the New York Jets made some interesting moves and especially at cornerback. Their biggest free agent signing so far has been cornerback Trumaine Johnson but they still need some help when it comes to that part of the defensive secondary.

The Arizona Cardinals recently released safety Tyrann Mathieu and a plethora of teams and football fans are wondering where he’ll end up in free agency since he will have interest. One of the biggest reasons why the Cardinals released him was due to his injury history and well, the savings they would get back by cutting him.

In the grand scheme of things, the Jets don’t need to invest more money into their safety situation since they already have two high-quality starters in Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye. Mathieu still believes he’s starting material and will likely be looking to get paid well in free agency. Expect to see Mathieu want a big paycheck and some kind of a two or even three-year deal to acquire his services.

More from Free Agency

• NY Jets: Why the team should target cornerback Shaquill Griffin
• NY Jets: Why the team should not cut Jamison Crowder
• NY Jets should try to sign Kenny Golladay in free agency
• NY Jets: Jonnu Smith would be a smart free-agent target
• NY Jets expected to be ‘much more aggressive’ in free agency this year

The Jets would be wise to stay away from Mathieu since they don’t have a need for another safety and even though he could potentially play cornerback, it’s not worth the risk. Mathieu has dealt with previous major injuries to his knee and shoulder, two obvious red flags for a defensive back that has dealt with a lot of wear and tear over his five-year career.

It’s best the Jets add another cornerback or two either through free agency or the 2018 NFL Draft. Taking in Mathieu wouldn’t be worth the money and especially since he’d be a hybrid player that doesn’t specialize in the cornerback role. Yes, he has experience at both safety and cornerback but the Jets need a player that can efficiently do cornerback well to fill another team need.

The Jets should continue bolstering their roster but stay away from Mathieu considering his injury history and the fact that the team doesn’t have a need for another safety. It wouldn’t make sense to pay him a lot of money to be a hybrid or to be a project at cornerback with more hope than reality.