(Layne Murdock, Jr./New Orleans Saints)
By John Deshazier - Senior Writer | New Orleans Saints
"Voluntary" became "mandatory" for Tyrann Mathieu the moment the three-time All-Pro safety became a first-year New Orleans Saints safety. So the sight of the nine-year veteran at the first three OTAs this week was as much a pleasant surprise (the work is voluntary for veterans) as it was a necessity.
"When he signed, that was the first thing – it was like, 'Yeah, I'm going to be there,' " Coach Dennis Allen said of Mathieu. "So that was really cool to see. I think he understands that it's a new system, a new place."
New system, new place, but the same Mathieu in terms of a thirst for learning, setting a tone and making sure he knows the ins and outs of the job well enough to find his personal flow within the system.
"Just being around teammates, being around the coaches, getting in the playbook," Mathieu said. "I'm a player that, once I understand the playbook and the scheme, I can kind of let my anticipation, my personality show. I think it was just a big positive for me to be here, get to know my teammates, get to know the coaches and how everybody likes to roll." ...
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