The Arizona Cardinals took a risk when drafting Tyrann Mathieu in the third round of the NFL draft. It is a risk that could come with high reward or a lot of downfall if it does not work out. The Cardinals were reportedly protecting themselves from any possible downfall as it was reported Mathieu's contract would contain no guaranteed money. This way if he slips up, the Cardinals suffer no repercussions from the original signing. However, Mathieu's agent is disputing that report, telling NFL.com that his client would not sign a deal that contained no guaranteed money.
When referring to the report of the contract, agent Patrick Lawlor responded saying, "Ridiculous. Not gonna happen. We had no contract discussions with them." He stated the only thing Mathieu has agreed to with the team is weekly drug testing. Mathieu's drug history caused him to get kicked off the LSU football team and released from the university all together.
In lieu of Mathieu;s troubled past, the Cardinals were not going to include any guaranteed money in his rookie contract, something that usually does not happen. They would include bonus money like roster bonuses, but that would be it. The team was also reporting that it would move Mathieu from cornerback to free safety in order to utilize his talents better.
Mathieu was a previous recipient of the 2011 Chuck Bednarik Award which is given to the best defensive player in college football. The Cardinals were viewed as the best possible landing spot for Mathieu. He spent much of 2012 working out with former LSU teammate and current Cardinal Patrick Peterson.
Peterson is credited with helping Mathieu complete his comeback into football, training with him as he prepared for the NFL combine. The combination of Patrick and Mathieu could give Arizona one of the better secondary units in the NFL. Mathieu was once viewed as an immediate starter in the NFL until he missed all of the 2012 season. In two seasons at LSU, he broke up 16 passes and forced 11 fumbles.
