5 players who Kansas City Chiefs need to be great in 2019

3. S Tyrann Mathieu

Another radical change for the Chiefs was the departure of long time safety Eric Berry this offseason. Berry, who has been effective when he played, was cut to save $7.25 million against the salary cap and due to his lengthy injury history.

The Chiefs splurged in free agency to replace Berry with the Honey Badger, inking Tyrann Mathieu to a three-year deal worth $42 million. Mathieu spent 2018 as a member of the Houston Texans, where he racked up 89 tackles and picked off two passes.

The Honey Badger appeals to Kansas City because of his ability to fit all over the defense. Mathieu is a tremendous run defender, picking up the fifth best run defense grade among all safeties a year ago, and he has always been a sure tackler.

The Chiefs can also use Mathieu as a slot corner or deep safety due to his tremendous coverage skills, making him an incredible weapon for Spagnuolo to use against opposing offenses. The one thing that Mathieu may not possess is Berry’s incredible leadership ability, which will not be easy to replace, but the Honey Badger has been healthier than Berry in recent years.

Mathieus joins Breeland as new starters in the Kansas City secondary, and both of them will need to play well to stabilize the back end of the Chiefs’ defense.