The “Honey Badger” was often connected to the Raiders
Now that the draft is complete, expect the veteran free-agent market to pick up some as teams look to fill remaining needs as training camp looms.
One name, however, we apparently can removed from consideration for the Las Vegas Raiders is standout safety Tyrann Mathieu. According to NFL Media, the “Honey Badger” is close to signing with his hometown New Orleans Saints.
The #Saints are making a key post-draft addition, 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.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 2, 2022
The Raiders, of course, were connected to Mathieu often in free agency. But, in the end, unless reported otherwise, it didn’t appear those talks went very far. Mathieu surely would have looked good in the Silver and Black. Now, at least, fans can take solace that he is out of the AFC West officially. Mathieu had some big games against the Raiders in the past three seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs.
At some point, I would expect the Raiders to add to the secondary with cornerback perhaps being more likely than safety. The Raiders studied several cornerback prior to the draft, but didn’t select one with any of their six picks.