The Baltimore Ravens saw their secondary struggle mightily during the 2021 season. They finished in the bottom-five in many categories, failing to defend the pass at a high level all year due to a multitude of factors, including a plethora of injuries.
As the team enters 2022 free agency, there are more questions than answers within Baltimore’s secondary. The team has only a small handful of cornerbacks behind Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters after the release of Tavon Young, many of which have very limited starting experience. At safety, DeShon Elliott is slated to be a free agent after suffering three season-ending injuries in four seasons.
The Ravens’ secondary could look vastly different in 2022 after the team finishes making their moves. They have plenty of options as to how they want to upgrade both their cornerback and safety rooms, including signing some of the best free agents on the market. One of those players is Kansas City Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu, who has shown that he’s one of the best safeties in the NFL.
Over the course of his nine-year career, Mathieu has totaled 610 tackles, 26 interceptions, 10 sacks and four forced fumbles. He has the ability to play in multiple roles on any defense, so his versatility would an extremely valuable thing for a Baltimore defense that likes to have as many chess pieces on the field as possible.
Mathieu is also regarded as a great leader, and has championship experience, playing in two Super Bowls while winning one of them. Those qualities could be a great thing for the Ravens’ secondary that could add many young pieces over the coming months.
Due to how good the veteran safety is, he’s expected to have a robust free agent market and should surpass $10 million per season. That investment is well worth it for Baltimore, as it feels like they need to make a splash to take their team over the top.
The Ravens already have an extremely talented roster, and Mathieu is the type of player who gets the best out of his teammates both on and off the field. That’s just one of the many factors as to why Mathieu would be a great fit in Baltimore.