Tampa Bay Buccaneers rival expected to sign star safety

According to reports, New Orleans just got a big weapon in the NFC South arms race

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers very quickly rose to the top of the NFC South, and are now doing what they can to stay there. 

But it won't come without competition from the New Orleans Saints, looking to make sure their fall from the throne doesn't last long.

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In their latest bid to try and build a competitive roster in 2022, the Saints are signing veteran safety, Tyrann Mathieu.

According to a report by NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. 

"The Saints are making a key post-draft addition," a tweet from Rapoport states. "As they're expected to sign All-Pro safety Tyrann Mathieu, sources say. A long-awaited signing that should be finalized in the coming days, the Honey Badger lands in a perfect spot."

Mathieu was expected to be a highly sought-after free agent once his departure from the Kansas City Chiefs was finalized. 

There was even speculation for a short time that perhaps the Buccaneers themselves would pursue the 'Honey Badger' to bolster their own defensive backs group after the loss of safety Jordan Whitehead. 

With the additions of Logan Ryan, and then Keanu Neal, that possibility became less realistic, and Mathieu went on record prior to the NFL Draft expressing his desire to play in New Orleans. 

Mathieu is from New Orleans and attended college at LSU as a star defensive back for the Tigers until he was suspended from the program for off-field issues. 

Drafted in 2013, then head coach of the Arizona Cardinals Bruce Arians took what others considered to be too big a character risk on the young safety, and gave him his first shot in the NFL. 

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With the Cardinals, Mathieu went on to have a Pro Bowl season in 2015 and earned a lot of respect as a First-Team All-Pro.

Mathieu left the Cardinals in 2018 spending one year with the Houston Texans before arriving to Kansas City in 2019. 

The veteran again earned First-Team All-Pro recognition in 2019 and 2020 while being named to the Pro Bowl in 2020 and 2021, and winning a Super Bowl at the end of the 2019 NFL season.

Now, Mathieu will become the newest rival of the coaching staff that he still has such a strong bond with, and will look to help Jameis Winston and the New Orleans Saints reclaim the NFC South Division title from Tom Brady, Lavonte David, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

For more on this and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers check out James Yarcho and David Harrison on the Locked On Bucs Podcast!

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